A Cup of Death

This nicely styled, first-rate whodunit reprises the detective skills of aging lawyer Dade Cooley (Nobody Cared for Kate). Dade and his wife Ellen leave their San Francisco home to attend the Los Angeles funeral of their friend, classics professor Paul Van Damm. Van Damm was murdered on the very day he and his wife, Greek actress Sophie Galanos, returned from a vacation in Europe. Accused is Manuel Garcia, son of the Van Damms' housekeeper Luisa, and the motive is robbery: a piece of costume jewelry brought back from Greece is missing. When Luisa asks Dade, a frequent quest at her late employer's home, to represent her son, he agrees. What ensues is a delightful, twisting investigation in which the gentlemanly, level-headed attorney and his helpful wife interview the victim's relatives and colleagues as they track both the solution to the murder and also clues abut an exciting archeological theory on the Trojan War. Thompson neatly popularizes selections from Homer and the classics, adding a knowledge of California criminal law and a wonderful talent for writing relaxed dialogue to this entertaining book, a near-perfect addition to its genre. (January 7)