Twilight at Mac's Place

Thomas ( The Fourth Durango , etc.) is at his best here with an intricate, riveting plot and a fine dry humor. Steadfast Haynes, for many years an unofficial CIA ``fixer,'' dies of a heart attack in Washington. His funeral brings together his 30-ish son Granville, Granny's childhood chum (and Steady's lover) Isabelle, CIA retiree Gilbert Undean and minor arms dealer Tinker Burns. Steady has written his memoirs and left the rights to Granny. In quick succession: Granny discovers Steady's ``book'' is mainly blank pages; Isabelle is murdered; an unknown woman steals the manuscript at gunpoint; and Undean is shot to death. Granny, ex-L.A. homicide dick, aspiring actor and inheritor of Steady's fabled charm and good looks, begins his own investigation, helped by Erika, daughter of a D.C. restaurateur. The complicated plot--two shadowy bidders vie for rights to a real manuscript, Granny and Erika fall in love, there's another murder, with a couple of twists at the end--is helped enormously by a wonderful cast of characters, including a stiff German headwaiter who quotes Proust aptly and effortlessly. A sophisticated, winning performance. (Nov.)