Anon Client

Hitting the bull's eye again in the sequel to The Baxter Trust , Hailey continues the story of New Yorker Steve Winslow, a lawyer with only one client. His smart, feisty secretary, Tracy Garvin, is bored with little to do but perks up when a strange package comes to the office. It contains $10,000 and an unsigned request for the lawyer's services. Winslow, his private eye pal Mark Taylor and Garvin form a team to trace the ``client'' but find him dead. Satisfying Garvin's desire for action, the narrative segues to a court room where society heiress Marilyn Harding is on trial for murdering the mystery man, a blackmailer. Now Winslow pulls a stunt that wins a prize for sheer chutzpah, with fantastic results. Told almost entirely in witty, personalizing dialogue, the novel will have the same tonic effects on readers as intrigue has on gutsy Garvin. (Apr.)