A Very Venetian Murder: A Reuben Frost Mystery

In the seventh Reuben Frost outing (after Murder Saves Face ), Murphy mixes travelogue with a guide to gourmet meals, neglecting to include much mysterysince food conceit is used in earlier review--see above .some weeks my reviewers are just hungry! no wonder on what we pay them.. Retired Wall Street lawyer Frost and his wife, Cynthia, on vacation in Venice, are invited to an ultraposh dinner where American fashion designer Gregg Baxter will introduce a colleague's new line of fabrics. Baxter, a diabetic, believes someone is trying to poison him by tampering with his insulin, and asks Frost for help. But the next day the designer is stabbed to death with a glass knife. Now the police ask Frost for his (unofficial) assistance in investigating the designer's coterie. As he pokes around, Frost uncovers plausible motives for most of Baxter's circle: the young black designer who was once Baxter's lover; a favorite model; the company's financial adviser; the marchesa; and Baxter's girl Friday, rumored to have a drinking problem. Although the historical background and atmospheric detail are appealing, Murphy (the pseudonym of former Wall Street lawyer James Duffy) skimps on believabilityand excitement. (May)