Enter Second Murderer

Re-creating her native Edinburgh of the Victorian age, Knight starts a series on widower Inspector Faro and his stepson, Dr. Vincent Laurie. After Patrick Hymes is hanged for two crimes--the murder of his errant wife and of wanton Lily Gordie--Faro devotes himself to clearing Hymes of the second murder. After questioning the nuns who had employed both women, Faro and Laurie confirm their belief in Hymes's innocence and stick to the search for Lily's innumerable spurned suitors. It is an exhausting effort, prompting Laurie to insist they take time off at a performance of Othello , where they are electrified by a lovely actress whom Faro courts with a fervor equal to that of his hunt for the copycat killer. The conclusion is not quite realistic; neither are members of the overloaded cast, particularly in their dialogues. But the atmosphere, as well as the portrayals of Faro and his boyish stepson, will appeal to fans of period detective stories. (Aug.)