Family Money

Bawden's second novel (after Circles of Deceit ) is pervaded by an acute sense of menace. Its frightened protagonist, Fanny Pye, is a London widow suffering from partial amnesia and agoraphobia after witnessing a violent crime. Strolling home from a neighborhood restaurant, Fanny sees an altercation among three young men which leaves one of them dead and another--called Jake--fleeing the scene. Knocked unconscious by the third man, Fanny comes to in the hospital with a sketchy memory of the episode; repeated prodding from her two grown children as well as the authorities does little to jog her recall. The son and daughter attempt to cope with their aging and now ailing mother when she comes home from the hospital full of talk about giving away great sums of money to an old family friend. Fanny herself must find a way to cope with a new neighbor, a strange young man named Jake who seems vaguely familiar. Sharply observed and drawn with precision, Fanny's troubles and their eventual resolution make a compelling read. (Dec.)