Telling of Lies

This entertaining mystery is another auspicious entry in the Delta Fiction line (see review above). An iceberg is spotted floating off the coast of Maine on the shores of the beautiful old Aurora Sands Hotel, or ASH as it is fondly called by its aging and wealthy clientele. The ASH has been sold, and the chilling iceberg turns out to be a bad omen; one of the guests, Calder Maddox, an evil pharmaceutical mogul, dies, and foul play is suspected. Though it has all the trimmings of an ordinary mysterythe discovery of a corpse, the search for clues, a complex plot and the kidnapping of a witnessthis multilayered novel transcends the genre. A skillful narrative is distinguished by delightful passages and is drolly narrated by Vanessa Van Horne, a landscape architect and the adventure's sleuth (``I felt as a terrorist might feel as he approaches his target. I, however, did not carry the explosives; the explosives walked beside me in a Carlos Ribriona suit''). The scrupulous Vanessa finds the killerand that the telling of lies is a double-edged sword with both pernicious and benevolent implications. Findley's ( Not Wanted on the Voyage , etc.) combination of the morbid subject of deathof a man, an era and certain valueswith a witty style renders this a unique and memorable tale of intrigue. Mystery Guild Book Club featured alternate. (September)