AFTER MOSES

A pair of sisters are drawn into the orbit of a diabolical, controlling man in this offbeat psychological drama combining solid narrative craft with an intriguing story line. The life of shy, beautiful Ida Tumarkin abruptly changes when her flighty, adventurous sister, Susan (Shoe), is murdered and she is designated caretaker of Moses, Shoe's five-year-old son. Ida, still living at home with her parents deep in the Ohio countryside, makes the transition with the help of her close friend, Henry, and her younger brother, Johnny. A second major change occurs in Ida's life when she meets and falls in love with charming, worldly art dealer Max Frost, who sees considerable commercial promise in her paintings. Problems begin when Max's relentlessly controlling nature becomes evident; Ida grows even warier of him when she learns that Max is Moses's father and that her sister was on the run from him. Mockler turns in some fine character writing as she weaves together the two sister's stories, although Ida's initial refusal to acknowledge Shoe's problems with Max strains credibility. An element of suspense is introduced when Ida wonders whether Max might have been Shoe's murderer, and Max sues for custody of Moses. The novel is at its best in conveying the banality of evil represented by the loathsome Max, a believable, startlingly ordinary villain. As a storyteller, Mockler sets off on a few too many tangents, dampening the effect of the central psychological game of cat and mouse, but her skills at portraiture and scene setting make this a promising debut. (June)