A Little Darling, Dead

Tenacious, brainy Chief Inspector Pete Parsons takes charge again, in the British author's 12th fast, sardonically witty and chilling novel. Deborah Hollowbone, 15, has been murdered; an examination shows she had been sexually active. Although Parsons and his men question Deborah's wimpy boyfriend and her two close girlfriends, the result is frustrating. Nothing induces the three to talk. Then thefts of equipment from the girls' school and a second killing lead the detective to a wily pimp and evidence of underground deals so corrupt that they stun even the hardened police. Scott is among the few writers who can pack dazzling entertainment into mysteries based on slimy vices such as those exposed herethe ""recreations'' indulged in by respected public figures. February 27