There Lies a Hidden Scor

Departing from the seriousness of their previous novel, Go Close Against the Enemy, which dealt with the lingering effects of racism in the South, the Iakovous' latest cozy takes a light, romantic turn in the sunny state of Florida. When Nick and Julia Lambros are invited to the wedding of some Greek friends, they decide to leave their Georgia restaurant to relax at the Tarpon Springs luxury resort owned by the father of the groom. On their first night there, however, they witness a fatal car accident that looks like murder. Adding to the ominous atmosphere, Kate and Alex, the bride and groom, have been receiving several Greek curses (a severed rooster's head among them) from an anonymous ill-wisher, prompting Alex's superstitious grandmother to plead for the wedding to be called off. Kate's father suspects an ex-business partner looking for revenge, but there are other possible culprits, and when a murder occurs inside the hotel, Nick and Julia begin to sleuth. Though the story is filled with possibility, it's marred by roughly drawn characters and a predictable ending. What sparkles, however, is the Iakovous' fascinating but unobtrusive detailing of Greek culture. Julia, an American in the midst of a Greek family celebration, feels like an outsider, especially when her Greek husband is pursued by a beautiful young compatriot. It's likely that many readers will be more interested in her feelings, and in the outcome of this romantic aside, than in the solution to the crime. (Dec.)