The Queen Against Karl Mullen

Though Gilbert ( Close Quarters ) is a Grand Master of the Mystery Writers of America, his latest work is a disappointment. Karl Mullen is a brutal South African secret policeman in Great Britain to try to extradite Jack Katanga, a Mozambique citizen wanted in South Africa for murder. When Mullen is picked up on charges of shoplifting, with Katanga as the primary witness, both pro- and anti-apartheid activists are up in arms. Then Katanga is killed, leaving Mullen as prime suspect. Again people on both sides of the apartheid issue attempt to sway a supposedly impartial governmental process. Less a novel about the apartheid controversy than a behind-the-scenes courtroom drama, solicitor Gilbert's latest showcases his thorough knowledge of the insider politics that abounds in a trial by jury. But his restrained style and reserved characters combine with a frustrating, unbelievable ending to make this novel a mystery only in the sense that one wonders why he has read it. (June)