Murder in State

Early in this improbable, oddly interesting tale of diplomatic treason, the hero's brother-in-law derides the leader of a unilateral disarmament movement, snapping, ``I'll sign up when he gets the Russkies to tear down the Berlin Wall.'' Such outdated Cold War posturing threads throughout veteran thriller-writer and Watergate conspirator Hunt's latest tale. Alan Stuart, Washington lawyer and former State Department employee, is drawn into the world of international intrigue when an ex-colleague approaches him with suspicions about the leaking of American secrets to the Soviets. Shortly thereafter the man turns up dead, and Stuart becomes romantically involved with his widow despite indications that she knows more than she reveals. Agreeing to take the dead man's place during arms reduction negotiations in Geneva, this stodgy lawyer suddenly turns into an amateur James Bond. Events progress predictably until a very nasty surprise gives a memorable twist to the conclusion. (June)