Dead Before Morning

In this lively crime-fiction debut, British author Evans introduces a fresh ``odd couple'' team of sleuths. Rough-edged, blustery and emotional Det. Insp. Rafferty comes from a large, demanding and semi-criminal family; his foil is college-educated Sergeant Llewellyn, only son of a Welsh minister, who hides most of his feelings in scholarly observations and a dour demeanor. Investigating the death of a London prostitute whose battered body is discovered in the well-tended gardens of a private psychiatric institution, they find that all the staff members have keys to the grounds, not to mention alibis of varying credibility. In charge of the home is patrician Dr. Melville-Briggs, who resents proletarian Rafferty putting obstacles the way of his womanizing and career advancement. The pair are soon immersed in a caper full of illegal drugs, jealous physicians and jilted mistresses. Though Evans drops some crucial clues too early to escape the notice of seasoned crime pundits, this often comic tale sharpens the appetite for more from the verbose, expansive Rafferty and his solemn cohort. (Apr.)