Fletch, Too

Mcdonald's ninth Fletch epic (after Fletch Won is, as anticipated, fast and wildly funny, but also surprisingly moving. At his wedding to Barbara, Fletch receives an invitation from Walter Fletcher, the father his mother swears had ""died in childbirth: yours.'' Fletch insists on taking Barbara on a honeymoon in Kenya, where Walter promises to meet them. The first sign of trouble is a corpse Fletch stumbles on in the men's room at the Kenyan airport. Then, instead of the father, Peter Carr arrives at the rendezvous, apologizing for Walter's absence. As the days pass, Carr remains a thoughtful host, while Fletch becomes more baffled by his presumed father's delay. An archeological dig and the company of other friends of Walter's open Fletch's mind to the exotic African ambience, but various suspicious incidents increase his anxiety: Was that his father's corpse in the airport? Or was he the murderer? A letter delivered to Fletch and Barbara on the flight home mayor may notsolve the puzzle. (October 22)