Guilty Knowledge

Best known for the praised espionage thriller Dragon's Teeth, this prolific writer, now in his 80s, has more than 70 novels to his credit. (He is also the infamous ex-CIA agent who served prison time for his part in the Watergate fiasco.) This new yarn focuses on intrepid Steve Bentley, ex-CIA spook now an erudite tax attorney, who was originally introduced in a series of five Dell paperback originals under Hunt's pseudonym Robert Dietrich. An urbane, romantic tale of suspense, this novel is jam-packed with Washington politics, blackmail, murder, steamy sex and an atmospheric insider's guide to gourmet dining around the Caribbean islands and the Capital Beltway. Alison Revelstoke Bowman, wealthy society heiress and U.S. senator from Philadelphia, comes to Bentley desperately seeking help. Estranged from her unfaithful car-dealer husband, but unwilling to divorce him and jeopardize her ambition of becoming the first female U.S. president, Alison takes a lover during a Caribbean sabbatical cruise. Then her seducer blackmails her with a videotape of their sexual congress. Bentley is on the case, but within days, the blackmailer is murdered in the senator's parking lot and Bentley deposits the body in a garage at Reagan airport. Powerfully attracted, lawyer and client become lovers. Their plight only worsens as party pressure for Alison to enter the presidential race intensifies. Murders and mayhem escalate as the lovers are menaced by sinister forces and the fate of the damning video remains unresolved. With hard-hitting prose and clipped dialogue, this enjoyable thriller boasts a snappy authenticity, a Don Juan/James Bond barrister and a timely, jaunty mix of sex and politics. (June)