THE STERLING INHERITANCE

Siverling's day job is with the Sacramento County, Calif., District Attorney's office abduction team that recovers kidnapped children, but the engaging first mystery for which he won a St. Martin's/Private Eye Writers of America award has nothing to do with abducted children. What it does have is an interesting mother and son team of PIs, Victoria and Jason Wilder. Mom is a formidable former police detective who keeps a one-eyed German shepherd named Beowulf and runs the Midnight Investigation Agency. She provides employment for some retired cop colleagues and her 20-something son, a would-be rock guitarist, who has trouble getting enough work in their hometown of River City and who, despite his grumbling, likes and is quite good at being a private dick. (His late father was also a cop, so it's in his blood.) Mother and son have a brisk though affectionate relationship: when she says "I love you son," he replies, "I'm moderately fond of you, too, lady." The plot, like the title, has Raymond Chandler overtones, including a wealthy family, a soft son accused of murder and a tough, disillusioned older sister. But Siverling adds enough clever modern touches, especially in the relationship between Victoria and Jason, to make this look like the start of a promising series. (July 7)

Forecast: His job in the Sacramento DA's office—one case involved the safe return after a three-year search of a girl kidnapped on her sixth birthday and hidden in Europe by her estranged mother and stepfather—lends Siverling a natural hook for the talk show circu it.