The Wicked Truth

Doctor Neil Bronwyn was outraged when he learned that his nephew, the Earl of Havington, was planning to marry Lady Elizabeth Marleigh, a woman of questionable--if any--morals. Determined to stop the young earl from an ill-fated marriage, Neil kidnaps the notorious ""Bettsy,"" but while he has her stashed away someone murders the earl. Since Neil is next in line for the earldom, Scotland Yard believes that both he and Lady Marleigh are possible suspects for the dastardly deed. Knowing that Elizabeth was with him at the time of the murder, and learning that several previous attempts have been made on her life as well, Neil realizes he may have wronged the girl. Neil and his long-time friend, who's in charge of the murder case for Scotland Yard, devises a plan to disguise Bettsy as a man, and find the killer on their own. It's a familiar plot and this one offers few surprises, but Stone has an apt hand with dialogue and creates characters with a refreshing naturalness. After all, when was the last time a heroine decided, after a first sexual encounter with her sloshed lover,that she was ""not at all impressed. It was damned uncomfortable and not much of a memory to make, after all""? (Mar.)