Silent Witness

Poor writing, stereotypical characters and a predictable plot make this pretentious mystery nearly unreadable. Most annoying are insistent references to date and time, which give a sense of urgency that is totally misleading and ultimately frustrating since the action devolves over two and a half months. Millionaire artist Janice Hale hires actor-director-private eye Alan Bernhardt (from Bernhardt's Eye ) to investigate the death of her sister, Connie, supposedly killed by an intruder at her home in the California wine country. Janice is convinced that Connie was murdered by her husband, Dennis Price, for her $25-million estate. The only witness to the crime is Connie's seven-year-old son, John, but Dennis won't let Janice talk to him alone. More important to Janice than proving Dennis's guilt is the welfare of her nephew, whom she may want to adopt. While Wilcox's characters disparage the villain and his trendiness, they themselves are trendy to the max. Bernhardt doesn't uncover much in his tedious investigation, but the guilty are nonetheless brought to justice at the end of this unoriginal tale. (Nov.)