Death of a Hero

A charming collection of oddballs and marvelously dysfunctional English populate this final work from a sadly under-appreciated author who passed away last year. Inspector Ben Jurnet is just getting over the death of his fiancee when 10,000 unemployed men stage a happening at a famous historical site. The leader of the event is the charismatic Charlie Appleyard, who proceeds to die at the house of Jenny Nunn, his onetime college friend with a first in history who now works as possibly the world's most enthusiastic prostitute. Ben finds several suspects in a kinky foursome, and one has hair that reminds him of his dearly departed love. Soon, he's swimming in his underwear and sleeping with a crippled girl in his flat above a deli. Haymon tends to pitch all manner of narrative and character oddity at the beguiled reader. Mostly it sticks, although in this instance a slew of deaths follows Charlie's with precious explanations thrown in at the end. As the new woman in Ben's life threatens to leave, the poor man can't decide whether to keep grieving over his first loss or to fight the possibility of any more. Haymon's previous works include the superior A Beautiful Death, in which Ben's fiancee expired, and Ritual Murder, which picked up the Silver Dagger Award in Britain. (Dec.)