The Vines of Ferrara: A Novel of Suspense

Readers of this pleasant but unoriginal mystery may be reminded of nothing so much as an old Nancy Drew book. Like Nancy, Andrea Perkins, the heroine of this novel is intrepid, trustworthy, beautiful and ""titian-haired.'' She also has a faithful, if largely absent, suitor, and a good many adventures before solving the baffling mystery with which she is faced. The story is set in an Italian castle formerly owned by the infamous murderess Lucrezia Borgia. It appears that Borgia has come back to reclaim her Ferrara domain when people begin dying, suddenly and violently, from drinking poisoned wine. Perkins, who is working at Este castle restoring some ancient tarot miniatures, finds herself drawn into the growing web of murder. While competently written, the novel holds few surprises for the average mystery buff. (July)