She Took My Arm as If She Loved Me

Vivid glimpses of San Francisco, from Aquarian days to the present, color this otherwise disappointing effort from the prolific Gold (Birth of a Hero; Fathers; Bohemia). Middle-aged Dan Kasdan, divorced, depressed father and private eye, will never get over the love of his life, ex-wife Priscilla, who tired of his once endearing lack of ambition. Unwilling to work for shady characters while he was married, Dan preferred to track down runaways and deadbeat dads--although Priscilla urged him to pursue the ""big score."" Ironically, after the divorce Dan becomes involved in the schemes of Karim, the smooth, drug-dealing pornographer whose professional advances he had been so stubbornly resisting, and finds Karim may have hidden connections to his ex-wife. But the criminal intrigue here never amounts to anything. Dan's relationship with Priscilla is the core of the novel--and its glaring weakness. Recounted in Dan's own voice, his great love never makes much sense, nor is its object the least bit likable. And the surprisingly tiresome, affected dialogue between them is even less convincing. Nor is the man-to-man interaction between Dan and best friend, Alfonso, much better. There are small gems of insight, humor and local color littered throughout, but the dearth of story and character development sadly outweigh these qualities. (June)