Immaculate in Black

In this disappointing first mystery, Tucson lawyer ``Sherm'' Sherman prepares to defend Raymond Bruner, who has been arrested for raping and killing his niece, Shelley Eagan. Despite a 911 call that seems to implicate Bruner, Sherm isn't convinced that he is the culprit. When Sherm is almost killed as he arrives at the courthouse for Bruner's preliminary hearing, Sherm and his wife (and bridge partner) Becky begin to investigate who really killed Shelley and why. Voice-printing, duplicate bridge, cultish Mother of the Moon (MOM), computer hacking, pornography and multiple births jumble to confuse the reader in this overburdened plot. Ludicrous details, such as Sherm's arrest for an expired driver's license after he speeds away from a pursuing car, and the denouement of the investigation that occurs unexpectedly at a duplicate bridge tournament, add to the story's confusion and to the reader's disappointment. (Apr.)