Murder of a Moderate Man

Deadly intrigue as practiced by espionage specialists turns humans into pawns in Howlett's slashing successor to The Christmas Spy and Tango November. ""Railway Joe,'' Interpol's Morgan Hunter-Brown, follows events set off when fanatic Iranians allow a German policeman to fly Parviz Vaziree out of prison to London. The son of an assassinated moderate politician, Parviz represents a prize to be interrogated by American and British secret agents. Although he asks for asylum, Parviz is shipped to Italy, where merciless enemies trail him. Railway Joe is hardly more than an observer, and recorder, of horrors as almost everyone connected with the affair is murdered. The unremitting tension mounts with each outrage perpetrated by cynical patriots and will keep thriller buffs riveted. (January 14)