Wherever You Go, There You Are

In his freewheeling debut novel, Hampel dexterously weaves seemingly unrelated strands into a plot that combines mystery, science fiction and fantasy. L.A. private detective Basil Lexington narrates the novel, his hardboiled delivery at once a bow to and a parody of Chandler. Basil is hired to find the mysterious Capt. Jimmy Kowalske, Vietnam vet and founder of the occult Church of the Electronic Trinity. The Church is tied in with several electronics and computer companies, giving the story a cyber-punk dimension. Basil's investigation takes him to Wasson's Bay, Wis., where he meets and falls in love with Synandra Wasson, last of her clan. She is the quintessential earth mother, representative of her era--the mid-'70s--when the Age of Aquarius was coalescing into the New Age. Synandra's mentor is an elderly Indian medicine man named Dr. Bo, and together they provide what becomes the dominant strand as the mystery takes second place to a modern ecological mythology. Hampel ably blends metaphysics with magic in a highly enjoyable and fast-paced book. (Dec.)