No Kiss for the Devil

The absence of twists or suspense mars the emotionally muted fifth installment of Magson's Gavin and Palmer series (No Tears for the Lost , etc.). When the police summon Riley Gavin, a British investigative journalist, to a murder scene in the Essex countryside, she recognizes the victim, Helen Bellamy, a fellow reporter. Gavin deliberately downplays her knowledge of Bellamy, failing to mention that the woman was once the love interest of her frequent partner, PI Frank Palmer. Palmer himself comes clean to the authorities, and vows to track down the reporter's killer. He becomes concerned for Gavin's safety after she's offered a lucrative but suspicious job writing for an obscure magazine, East European Trade , which may be connected with some unsavory Russian thugs. Few readers will be surprised to learn there's a link between the publication and Bellamy's murder. (Sept.)