Town on Trial

Most readers will be charmed by narrator Bill McIntyre right from the opening pages of this otherwise unseductive novel about the murder trial of a famed New York socialite in a small Ohio town. McIntyre, 62, is the trial's judge, a welcome change of pace from the attorney-hero of most legal thrillers. Because one of the three victims allegedly shot by wealthy art maven Marietta Rheinlander is local congressman Charles Bailey, the trial generates great national interest, including coverage by Court TV. But even though McIntyre is a delightfully rich character (he quotes Mark Twain and, as a shortwave fan, listens to broadcasts from as far away as Ulan Bator), his narrative, for all its personality, can't sustain the rather mundane plot, which pivots on the questions of whether Rheinlander killed Bailey and two of his aides during a weekend visit to his West Virginia estate and whether, innocent or guilty, she will be convicted of the crime. Moreover, many readers will anticipate Harrington's big trial revelation, and a violent surprise ending seems out of kilter with the rest of the talky narrative. Overall, this is bland and uninvolving work from the usually more reliable Harrington ( For the Defense ). (May)