Gone to Earth

In Boyer's easy-reading fifth Doc Adams mystery ( after Moscow Metal ), the oral surgeon and part-time pathologist unintentionally infuriates a mass murderer. Adams finds four Harley-Davidson motorcycles hidden in the barn of his newly bought farm in the Berkshires; then one of his dogs unearths a bone, leading to the exhumation of human and animal remains. Young Lucy Kirkland identifies one of the bikes as belonging to her brother, missing for a year, and another as that of macho punk Werner ``Buddy'' Franz. The latter, she says, is a giant of such vile temper that even the region's toughest gang threw him out; she believes he murdered her brother. The bikes are taken to auction to lure Franz, who is briefly sighted before he stabs four horses to hide his getaway. Franz then vents his anger on the Marine who bought his motorcycle and takes further revenge on another biker whom Doc has questioned, leading Doc to wonder if his quarry has supernatural powers. In a surprising, forceful conclusion, the sharp-witted surgeon determines otherwise. With fewer gratuitous, if friendly, asides, Boyer's plot would have yielded even more of its considerable potential for suspense. (Sept.)