Only Lawyers Dancing

Narrated alternately by two women, this book attempts to be a new kind of detective novel, but there is one major problem: the two voices sound so much alike that it is often unclear which one is speaking. Anne Stevens is an ex-therapist in Sydney, Australia, who became a lawyer because she was ``tired of dealing with the damage'' wrought by ``the system.'' Frances Smith, a childhood friend, is a photographer. The tension between the two women reflects the differences between their families: Anne's father is a policeman, Frances's is a gangster. Although the writing is capable and the dialogue is often snappy--at one point Anne proclaims that ``men are like cats, you can love them over and over again and they go on walking away with your heart in their mouths''--there are too many characters and plot twists to keep straight. One thread running through the book is an unresolved murder that took place in Anne and Frances's childhood, one that particularly shook Anne's father for reasons she doesn't completely understand. In the end McKemmish, an Australian writer, offers a loving portrait of Sydney and some witty repartee, but not much else. (Apr.)