Devine War

Caro's springboard is familiar from spy novels and movies: a wily ex-agent, cashiered and betrayed, exacts devious revenge. Knowing the ins and outs of the interstellar alliances that are now fighting a protracted war, JoAnn Devine feels no compunction about using the bureaucracy against itself. She declares herself ambassador of the small planet Freehold and starts funds and red tape rolling while her ex-employers puzzle over her actions and fear the worst, knowing her capabilities. Readers may also wonder what's going on, for the plot's feints and maneuvers mean nothing until they add up, and the characters involved are equally ciphers. Not so their smug, brittle badinagefull of cute ""takes'' and cultural cross-referenceswhich is just as arch and irritating as that of the Moonlighting TV series that popularized it. Caro works so hard that this book is strenuous to read. (August 25)