Forever Man

Bad guys have the secret of immortality in this somewhat awkward debut, which blends elements of fantasy fiction and techno-thrillers. Hired by an old private bank in Boston, computer consultant Phillip Gardiner, who narrates, discovers that 21 individuals have managed to rejuvenate themselves over the centuries (the process is surprisingly simple)-and that they will kill without compunction to preserve their secret. When his employers-turned-enemies begin murdering those he cares about, Gardiner is forced to press matters to a showdown that takes him to Switzerland and Brittany. Greider commits many first-novel mistakes, not least of which is a tendency to ramble on about events not central to the advancement of the plot. Some of the hero's ruminations on death, time and history make for interesting side trips, but other matters-such as his seeking out and purchasing a bizarre weapon that is never utilized-merely hamper the narrative momentum in what, despite its flaws, is an engagingly offbeat yarn. (Sept.)