Farewell to Yarns

Suburban housewife/amateur sleuth Jane Jeffry returns in Churchill's ( Grime and Punishment ) new whodunit. Jane is barely coping with the everyday hassles of being the single mother of three when a long-lost acquaintance, Phyllis Wagner, arrives on her doorstep for a Christmas visit. Phyllis hasn't changed much in the years since Jane last saw her, but she has acquired immense wealth and a spoiled brat of a son. Within 24 hours, Phyllis is murdered, followed by her son. Suspects include Phyllis's estranged husband, a computer magnate who is discovered in a nearby hotel under a false name, p. 115 her overbearing stepson and the local celebrity--widow of rock 'n' roll legend Richie Divine, from whom Phyllis bought a house on short notice. Jane is an appealing heroine, whose frazzled but ordinary experiences, including carpools and Christmas craft bazaars, are woven into the plot, and the supporting cast is fully drawn. All the clues are there for the alert reader, and the resulting skillfulpk genre tale will attract those who find, like Jane Jeffry, that daily life provides a full complement of successes, failures and challenges. (Dec.)