Murder on the Aisle

Gorman's fourth whodunit will appeal to devotees of Rough Cut and his other fast, raunchy, funny mysteries. In Manhattan, TV movie critics Tobin and Dunphy trade blows before the studio audience. Later Tobin is found red-handed but innocent, pulling a knife from Dunphy's back. The fight to clear his name takes Tobin to a film school, where he meets a pretty student who shares his bed and hints at scandal involving Dunphy and his wife, Tobin's former mistress, now having an affair with her late husband's agent. There is a frighteningly comic interview between the beleaguered, bantamweight investigator and a mad giant who claims Tobin and his late partner have stolen a script from him. The author also provides a wry glimpse of would-be nabobs, wheeling and dealing at TV soirees, dull as sitcoms. (July 20)