Baby, Would I Lie?: A Romance of the Ozarks

In Trust Me on This , his comedy mystery published in 1988, Westlake and the reader both had a great deal of fun with the scurrilous goings-on at a supermarket tabloid whose models are on view every day at--well, supermarkets. This time the Weekly Galaxy is covering (and how!) the murder case against popular Missouri country singer Ray Jones. So is pretty Sara Joslyn, a Galaxy escapee who now works for a trendy New York magazine called--well, Trend. Ray is also being pursued for zillions in back taxes by the IRS and seems determined, despite his lawyers' best efforts, to screw up everything in sight, in court and without. Meanwhile, can Trend expose Galaxy 's hideous newsgathering methods and get their own scoop as well? Westlake's practiced hand soon has these elements spinning cheerfully. Sara is a delightfully feisty, smart heroine; Ray is suitably enigmatic; there are some spot-on takeoffs on typical country lyrics; and the windup is both utterly surprising and entirely logical. For light entertainment conducted by an ace practitioner, they don't come any better that this. Author tour. (Sept.)