California Street

After a painfully slow start, this intriguing mystery by the author of Extraordinary Means finds and sustains its low-key pace. Joel Abramowitz is a likable San Francisco psychoanalyst with a personal problem: he's in love with Margot Fairfax, wife of his best friend, Ted. Wealthy and socially prominent, Margot and Ted have problems of their own. Ted is having an affair with one of Joel's patients, Melanie, a stunning yet seriously troubled model, and Margot is bent on seducing Joel. When Melanie's corpse turns up on a Marin County beach, suspicions center on Ted; Margot's abrupt disappearance complicates matters. The romantic and homicidal entanglements are compounded by revelations made on Joel's couch by several patients who may be key witnesses--or who may be indulging in flights of fantasy. Joel and colleague Denise decide to investigate Melanie's death and track down Margot themselves, raising problems of patient/doctor confidentiality. The book is buoyed by strong characterizations, a sharp and steady wit, and the ambience of trendy, multifaceted San Francisco. (Sept.)