Inspector Proby's Christmas

Casual adultery in Hampton seems as ubiquitous as the December snow that blankets the British river port. But is it connected to the serial killer who's blasting young women with a shotgun? In this well-crafted procedural, first in a new series by an author making his American debut, Inspector Jim Proby is spending the holiday season tracking the murderer. Except for their being in remote spots at the wrong time, little connects the victims: the wayward bride of a local crook, a pretty high-school girl, a church-warden's universally beloved young wife, an HIV-positive waif. Proby-kindly, middle-aged and himself burdened with a wandering spouse-wonders if three of the slayings could be smokescreens concealing the one that isn't random at all. Dogged digging and deduction soon provide the answer, but, unfortunately, no tangible evidence, and finally Proby is forced to trap his prey through a dangerous scam. Gano's excellent descriptive passages create a vivid atmosphere; he's especially good at showing how mistaken identifications and useless clues complicate police work. (Dec.)