The Physalia Incident

When millionaire businessman Vladimir Zaychek dies, apparently as a result of being stung by a Portuguese man-of-war while snorkeling off the coast of Bermuda, it looks like an accident. But his widow, Maria, isn't convinced of that; Vladimir, she believes, was murdered. Maria convinces Colin Chase, a high-powered executive of World Magazine, that the big-time newsweekly should investigate Vladimir's death, and he assigns science writer Alex Black to the case. In this sprightly and entertaining first novel, the hero, or rather, heroinein addition to narrator Alexis a computer nicknamed ""Stella.'' It's Stella's database that gives Alex access to pieces of information almost infinite in number, providing most of the clues to the mystery. It was inevitable that someone would write a persuasive high-tech whodunit, and Spikol, an editor, writer and graphics designer for a communications firm, has done a first-rate job. (March)