Flesh and Blood: A Lieutenant Ben Tolliver Thriller

Whatever else it may lack, the third Ben Tolliver book ( By Reason of Insanity ; Painted Ladies ) has a setup that strongly resembles the circumstances of Nelson Rockefeller's infamous demise. Powerful ex-U.S. Senator Clayton Cunningham III, head of an old New York robber-baron family, is found dead in the townhouse headquarters of the family's foundation, in the company of glamorous reporter Jessica Silk. We discover quite quickly that Cunningham was a rotter, and learn soon enough that Silk, who is subsequently found dead, did not commit suicide. We also see that the feuding Cunninghams are involved in shady doings: scratch out any suspense from these angles, or any other. As the plot progresses further into formula, we're not surprised that so many people want to thwart obtuse New York City police detective Tolliver--though we do wonder how in the world he ever made lieutenant. The book really goes off the rails at the Cunningham's Long Island estate, where TV reporter Shelley Drake, Tolliver's girlfriend, begins to act like Nancy Drew and Tolliver turns into 007, which behavior leads to a gory climax and a Jacobean body count. Characterization and writing are pedestrian, proving only that, for Tolliver and Drake, it's more effective to be lucky than smart. Smart readers won't bother with this. (May)