An Almost Perfect Gent

In his fiction debut, former magazine editor Kelland tries to evoke the Parnassian world of wealthy New Yorkers in the early decades of the 20th century, in the manner of Edith Wharton's fiction or Truman Capote's Answered Prayers. But this clumsy, clich -rich melodrama is to fiction what suburban dinner theater is to a Broadway play. Bland protagonist Tim Whitaker enjoys a pleasant and privileged childhood in the absurdly named mansion Quaker's Pride--until his jealous father kills his blameless mother and then commits suicide. Tim is adopted by his beautiful, flamboyant Aunt Hilaria, who secretly instigated his parents' quarrel. Tim grows up to be a model gentleman--moneyed, mannered, and handsome--and pursues an undemanding career as an art dealer, while also pursuing his cousins, the ambitious Primrose ""Prim"" James and the artistic Leopolda ""Leah"" Payne. Tim's family secret inevitably emerges, accompanied by more murder, suicide, blackmail, sex and violence among the well-bred, none of it suspenseful, remotely credible or much fun. Laughable clich s run riot through Kelland's prose: Tim's father rages, ""The bounder!""; Prim exclaims, ""Kiss me... kiss me hard!""; and a hunky gardener looks like ""a Greek god."" A Perfect Gent reads nothing like its obvious models--more like the adaptation of an especially bad made-for-TV movie. (June) FYI: Kelland's father, the late Clarence Budding Kelland, wrote more than 50 novels.