The Cadillac Cowboy

This weak effort from the author of Red Rosa and Cassandra in Red features Ford Morgan, who is hired by his former wife when her son is accused of shooting his father, ruthless and powerful Ralph Baliol. Drawn from his current home in Costa Rica, Ford travels to Montecito, Calif., where his investigation leads him deep into the affairs (mostly sexual, and graphic) of the extended Baliol clan. This is a generic, noirish thriller, with a flaccid attempted murder scene, a sleazy victim with a sleazy, wastrel son and a hero whose lifestyle is so finely detailed that we even know the name of the microbrewery whose product he imbibes. Collins is usually a million times better than evidenced here, so skip this one and hold out instead for his next book with red in the title. (Oct.)