CATSKILL

In a sadly predictable turn of events, the chickens come home to roost in the quiet mountain village of Chicken Corners, N.Y., in this first mystery, which shows some talent and a lot of knowledge (Hayes draws on his personal experience of the Catskills in the '30s) but suffers from a lack of cohesion and balance. In the late summer of 1938, as world tensions mount, Europe's refugees are pouring into the United States. When a busload of recently arrived Jewish immigrants appears at the old Thorton farm, the worst in a Sullivan County self-righteous racist comes out. Shots are fired, and the drama begins. Surprisingly, the only person who ends up dead is a local—and Sheriff Charlie Evans wants some answers. A long and totally confusing lesson in the Collins family genealogy kicks off the book, and though current family patriarch Martin Collins does play a significant part in the action, it hardly justifies such detail. Much later, other portions of the background information fall into place, but by then the connections with the story line are too muddled to follow. This book's appeal would seem limited to those who are enthralled with genealogy and bloodlines. (Oct. 5)