Unprintable

When Alex Plumtree is asked in confidence by the prime minister to publish a limited edition of Cleansing, a controversial novel by Lord Chenies, ""one of the nation's most luminous literary lights,"" the staff and associates of Plumtree Press become instant targets for the media and those who don't want the book published. Alex is shocked to find the first chapter ""ultra right wing in the most odious way, appearing to condone violence on England's downtrodden,"" but for the moment his mind is elsewhere--back home, Alex is caught up in a historical preservation battle over hedgerows, and his fianc e in Switzerland doesn't answer his calls. Meanwhile, the publishing process is sabotaged at every stage, and Amanda Morison, his printer, is in grave danger. And then Lord Chenies is found dead. In this third Booklover's Mystery (Unsolicited, Unbound), Kaewert once again subjects the traditional English values of Alex and friends to quite a battering at the hands of outside forces as she pits the power of politics and money against the collective strength of committed individuals. As in previous outings, the true pleasure is less the mystery than Kaewert's portrayal of her beleaguered bibliophiles and her lovingly detailed description of their world. (Nov.)