Going Down of Sun

This is Irish journalist Bannister's eighth mystery starring Dr. Clio Marsh and her husband, Detective Harry Marsh. Sailing near the Fairy Isles off Scotland, the Marshes anchor beside the yacht Skara Sun and witness the explosion that kills the owner, Alison McAllister. The sole passenger, Alex Curragh, is blown into the water but Harry and Clio save him from drowning. The young survivor is in more immediate danger when Alison's husband, millionaire Frazier McAllister, accuses him of murder in order to collect a large inheritance from the dead woman. Although the Marshes know Alex was Alison's lover, perhaps the father of her infant son, they believe the suspect is innocent and determine to overturn the case against him. Terrifying incidents follow, peaking when Clio and Alex are defenseless in an encounter with armed avengers. The novel warrants praise as a real hackle-raiser, even if it's somewhat too wordy and the plot more twisty than necessary. (Oct.)