Dead Wrong

As this crisply written mystery opens, Kevin Bourque, a recently divorced carpenter, is sweating it out in jail, having been arrested for the murder of his partner. Through an interview with his young pro bono lawyer--who provides little legal or emotional counsel--readers learn of the party where Kevin fell for dangerously sexy Terri Pratt and met Larry Dexter. Despite Dexter's reputation for shifty dealings, Kevin had agreed to let him invest in upscale housing Kevin was building in a Boston suburb. But bounced checks and financial finagling then caused a bewildered and angry Kevin to fly off the handle and confront his partner publicly. Not long after, Kevin found Dexter's body riddled with nails shot from a pneumatic hammer, a tool used by tradesmen. Arrested and then released on bail, Kevin begins his own harrowing investigation. Burke's ( Getting Away with Murder ) crafty plotting keeps suspense high but, even though he is technically skillful, he does not take full advantage of his gift for relating the story through dynamic volleys of dialogue. Too often the characters' pointed conversations take second place to Kevin's interior explorations and ruminations. (Dec.)