HOT MONEY

In many of the better Francis adventures (and a few of the weaker ones), the hero is driven by an intense, admirable loyalty to some family relation. Here, for the first time, the mystery-suspense is all about family—with an old-fashioned emphasis on alibis, sibling rivalry, and a slew of crisscrossing motives. Super-tycoon Malcolm Pembroke has been married five times, winding up at age 68 with nine children (five of them married) and three living ex-wives. So when someone murders wife #5 Moira and then seems to be out to kill Malcolm himself, there are suspects galore. After all, Malcolm will leave a fortune when he dies; most of his kids (having squandered their trust funds) are hard up; and they're all furious that Malcolm now seems intent on spending his millions as fast as possible. All, that is, except 30-ish son Ian, the unmarried narrator-hero—who, reconciled with Malcolm after a long tiff, is now devoted to keeping dad alive. . .and to figuring out which half-sibling is responsible for (among other things) blowing up the family manse (when Malcolm and Ian were supposed to be sleeping therein). Along the way, Ian rakes up lots of touchy family history, jolting two of his brothers (one a self-deprecating alcoholic, the other one obsessed with his quasi-illegitimacy) into therapeutic self-awareness. And he ultimately sets a trap for the culprit—resulting in another explosion and some psycho-gothicky revelations (reminiscent of Christie's Crooked House). Those who read Francis for the action and the horses will be disappointed: though Ian is an amateur jockey and Malcolm buys thoroughbreds 'round the world, the racing is peripheral. The sleuthing, too, is far from riveting. But the Francis combination of airy, muscular storytelling and gruff sentiment makes for steady-on entertainment once again—even with an over-large cast and a rather juiceless hero.