A Cry for Self-Help

Welcome to Marin County, Calif., where the characters in this quirky mystery want only to reclaim their inner cores, merge emotionally, eat vegetarian (organically grown, of course) or murder one another. Kate Jasper's eighth appearance (after Most Likely to Die) finds her and her fiance, restaurant owner Wayne Caruso, on the trail of a killer who pushed renowned self-help guru Sam Skyler off a cliff. Sam, wealthy and charismatic founder of the Skyler Institute for Essential Manifestation, had a troubled past--he had nearly been convicted of murdering his wife by pushing her off a balcony. His present followers are fanatically devoted and hound Kate and Wayne mercilessly when they begin to pry. Much of the sleuthing is secondary to a galaxy of colorful characters all involved in New Age activities: searching for ""the manifestation of their essence""; becoming cosmically charged; or just seeking good karma. Yvonne stages wedding ritual seminars; Diana is a tantric yoga goddess; Emma writes a children's book series whose heroine is Connie the Condom. Kate's relentless questioning reveals that Sam had been at odds with Martina, his institute's director, over a lucrative buyout offer. She also discovers a bewildering variety of other motives. Kate's gag-gift business, Jest gifts, seems a perfect metaphor for this offbeat, tongue-in-cheek and endlessly appealing mystery, which will leave readers energized and blissed. (Apr.)