Bucket Nut

Cody ( Backhand ) introduces Londoner Eva Wylie, a professional wrestler, junkyard security guard and genuinely off-the-wall heroine. Told with all the confidence and style of Cody's successful Anna Lee series, this story is more an adventure than a mystery; many of the crimes are committed by Eva herself, who is not above swiping the odd wallet or automobile. Occasionally Eva runs errands for Mr. Cheng, whose official business she doesn't ask about. While collecting a protection payment from a nightclub, she is offered some ``crowd control'' work for that evening. When a police raid halts the band's set, Eva whisks a totally stoned backup singer off to the safety of her trailer home. ``Goldie,'' as Eva dubs the singer, charms her protector and even gets the junkyard dogs to eat out of her hand. But Goldie brings problems with her, and Eva has enough of her own, especially when Mr. Cheng sends her on another, very different errand. To make things worse, an annoying PI named Anna Lee keeps nosing around, looking for someone named Eleanor Crombie. If, as Cody hints, Anna and Eva team up, they could make some beautiful mysteries together--assuming Eva stays out of traction and out of jail. (Feb.)