Fast Friends: An Iris Thorne Mystery

Earthquakes and their aftershocks fill the background of this carefully crafted Los Angeles-based mystery in which the protagonists try to cope with the seismic faults riddling their emotional terrain. Investment advisor Iris Thorne, last seen in Slow Squeeze (1994), built her success on intelligence and relentless ambition, but her chic appearance and rapid-fire wit cover a past that still disturbs her. At the age of 14, during the 1971 San Fernando quake, she witnessed a murder and its subsequent coverup. Some of those involved-the wealthy and dysfunctional land-owning DeLacey family; her own continually bickering parents; two corrupt and brutal policemen-come together 25 years later, following another quake. The present turmoil is organized around a bitter political battle in which Iris's eyewitness account of those earlier events could make a decisive difference. Iris also has strong evidence to suggest that Bill DeLacey, now L.A.'s biggest slumlord, has murdered his wife. A deftly characterized supporting cast of aging hippies, smarmy businessmen and an ex-lover gives texture to this tightly knit, unpredictable tale. With her bold moral compass, her appealing in-your-face attitude and unsettled romantic life, Iris is a compelling heroine. (Jan.)