SISMO

Biederman's first novel since Post No Bonds (1988) does a lovely job of packaging the familiar tale of the opportunistic villain (hotel manager Brian Fowler, indicted in Texas for manslaughter when a tenant is fatally scalded in the shower) trying to fake his death (in an earthquake in Mexico City, where he's been carrying on business as usual for the company only too eager to give him the heave-ho) to throw off his nemesis (William Bermudez, NYPD, who gets set on Fowler's trail after he saves the victim's granddaughter, movie star Connie Oland, from a Manhattan crazy). As dogged Bermudez, sparked by the memory of Connie's fine flesh, closes in on him, fast-moving Fowler hatches scheme after inventive scheme to come up with the money and documents he needs to vanish once and for all. You've known how all this will turn out since Chapter 3, of course; but Biederman spices her battle of wits with dozens of irresistible grace notes—from Fowler's ludicrous attempt to masquerade as a free-lance journalist to his unexpected talent for murder.