Fare Play: A Mystery with Marian Larch

Veteran Paul (The Apostrophe Thief) pens another nifty chapter in the casebook of policewoman Marian Larch, recently promoted to lieutenant in the NYPD's Midtown South Precinct. Standing out from the usual round of crimes is the murder of elderly Oliver Knowles on a crowded bus, the killer escaping unseen, even by the detective agency operative who was trailing him. Larch is surprised to learn that the agency is owned by Curt Holland, her on-again, off-again lover. Knowles was the wealthy, retired head of O.K. Toys, now run by suave David Unger. In addition to Unger, Knowles's son and the family lawyer stand to profit most by the old man's death. Larch senses chicanery behind the urbane, respectable facade. A college student is similarly murdered in a packed subway train, but this time a description of the killer emerges. While working both cases, the new lieutenant grapples with the problems of her actress friend Kelly Ingram, suffers insults from a couple of macho fellow cops and is ambivalent about resuming her affair with Holland. In the nicely twisting end, Holland's help combines with solid police work to solve the case and shut down a bizarre, long-running destructive operation. Zingy from page one to the finish. (Apr.)