cover image THE EX FILES

THE EX FILES

Jane Moore, . . Broadway, $11.95 (336pp) ISBN 978-0-7679-1602-8

British columnist Moore (Fourplay ) returns with another clever titular pun, but wit is scarce after the title page, despite the novel's promising premise. Feisty model Faye Parker and soft-spoken rising chef Mark Hawkins invite several former lovers to their wedding bash at a gorgeous French chateau. (Mark's loaded parents pay the tab; despite some misgivings about the bride, mother Jean wants her baby to have the very best, especially since the marriage of Tony, her eldest, has broken up.) Why do Mark and Faye plant emotional land mines at their big event? It seems that deep down they know they're mismatched. Faye's bosom buddy Adam ("who described himself as 'Homo sapiens, homeopathic, and homosexual' ") tells her so, and best man Brian delivers the message to the groom. The arrival of Mark's brother clinches it. It turns out that Tony, who lives in New York, got to London a week ago, and he's the stud with whom Faye had a no-names last fling. Faye drew the line at intercourse, but that doesn't stop Tony—whose own marriage fell apart over infidelity—from demanding that she halt the wedding and let his brother find happiness with a good woman. Moore jumps forward and back in time to introduce the many players, and readers won't doubt for an instant that all's well that ends well. Awkward writing and unsympathetic characters dampen the fun, but there's something weirdly fascinating about a soap opera this shameless. (Feb.)