The Problem of Evil

In the sequel to The Problem of Virtue , Barney Furstbeiner, rebelling against his mobster father Ned, has changed his name to Fowler. He is still, however, forced to take care of the old man's business interests, and is investigating a stalled project in Michigan. The site is the original Furstbeiner home where Ned had compelled Autumn, Barney's young love, to abort their baby. Later married to his cousin Charlie, Autumn has been shot dead, supposedly mistaken for her husband. As he agonizes over the malign influences of his father, Barney questions those people opposed to Ned's plans to dredge the local lake, sacred to Indians and other conservationists. As the days pass, the killer strikes again and again; when revealed, the motive tops all the shocks affecting both Barney and the reader. While original and skillfully sustained, this is an unrelievedly gloomy story. (Apr.)