Twilight

British author James returns to the mysteries of life after death with better success than he achieved in Possession. When a Sussex newspaper assigns Kate Hemingway to report on the noises that seem to be coming from the grave of a newly buried woman, she finagles access to a private exhumation--where it emerges that the woman had been buried alive. Meanwhile, James unfolds another story, set 20 years earlier: Harvey Swire, a pudgy, unpleasant schoolboy, has a near-death experience following a cycling accident; subsequently he undergoes frequent out-of-body episodes and develops an unhealthy fascination with the afterlife. The two plots are paced expertly, so that Kate's investigation into a hasty cover-up lands her afoul of the sinister Swire, now a prominent anesthesiologist. The two collide in a gripping climax, with a highly satisfying twist at the end. Characters are boldly drawn, and Kate proves an exceptionally likable heroine. James's attention to detail lends substance to what might seem a far-fetched plot--his research into near-death experiences and modern medical practices make this a convincing, sophisticated thriller with a suitably spine-tingling supernatural twist. (Mar.)