A Time for Dying

A maze-like case challenges urbane detective George Rogers, hero of Ross's highly rated series ( Sudden Departures ) about crime-fighting in England. A bolt from a crossbow kills Solon Stephanakis, dealer in drugs and whores; at the same time, two men kidnap the woman Solon lives with, Deborah Stuchley. Starting his investigation, Rogers questions Geoffrey Sickert, owner of a gambling club and former employer of the dead man and the missing woman. Sickert says he had fired both for cheating to support Debbie's drug habit, and with this clue, the detective widens his search to include Solon's cocaine connection. There is another murder by the archaic weapon and there are more detours to lead Rogers astray. But he finds the killer at last, and is free to choose between two new lady loves--if duty doesn't call again before he can solve this weighty, but infinitely more pleasant, problem. (Oct.)