Paradise of Death: An Ev Franklin Mystery

Orenstein's The Man in the Gray Flannel Shroud was a smash hit, as were his sequels featuring worldly advertising ace Ev Franklin, who describes his fourth sleuthing adventure here. Ev, his wife Jane and members of their Madison Avenue agency gather at the Caribbean island of San Sebo, where the sudden death of an important client, Henry Olds, breaks up the annual meeting. Henry's tyrannical widow screams accusations of murder, despite the coroner's report of a heart attack. After a talk with San Sebo's chief of police, the repulsively obese and aptly named Sarge, Ev becomes convinced that Mrs. Olds is right, and that Sarge has demanded the verdict to protect the tourist trade. Another suspicious death and an attempt to kill him and Jane plunges Ev into an investigation that, as he says, ""could shake you.'' The story rattles along at a fast pace, switching between the deceptively tranquil island atmosphere and a frenetic Manhattan. Orenstein's highly sophisticated wit helps make his latest a must for the hard-to-please mystery buff. (March)