The Risk of Infidelity Index: A Vincent Calvino Novel

Moore, whose novels have been translated into German, Japanese and eight other languages, makes his U.S. debut with a low-key thriller, part of a series to feature Vincent Calvino, a disbarred American lawyer working as a PI in Bangkok, Thailand. An apparent suicide in a failing massage parlor below Calvino's office may be related to the suspicious heart attack of his biggest client, attorney Andrew Danielson. When Danielson's law firm refuses to pay Calvino's outstanding fees, luck arrives in the form of prissy attorney John Lovell. Lovell has been cut loose from the same law firm because of fears he might pry into Danielson's death. He also knows a lot about local celebrity Khun Weerawat's shady deals, which may be relevant to Calvino's investigations for Danielson. As Calvino tries to connect the dots and find out what happened to Danielson, he also attempts to solicit business from four women afraid their husbands are cheating on them. The breezy quality of the scenes with the suspicious wives, the lack of depth to Calvino's character and a predictable resolution undermine an otherwise complex, intelligent novel. (Jan.)