Coffin's Got the Dead Guy on the Inside

The title of this offbeat, mostly engaging but occasionally too cute, story is the answer to ""What's the difference between a cello and a coffin?"" That's one of several musician jokes traded by underemployed electronic composer Jason Keltner and his friend Norton Platt at the start of Snyder's second Keltner adventure (after Show Control, 1996). Platt, a shadowy figure with connections to the world of intelligence, offers Jason a paying job keeping an eye on a mutual friend, Paul Reno, who is hanging with a new crowd (""a little seedier and a little more serious than his usual"") and who gets involved in software theft and a possible homicide. Paul is a royal pain, rude and condescending to Jason and his friends--Robert, a very tall actor, and Martin, ""an occasional graphic artist"" and aspiring knife fighter. One problem readers will have is understanding why someone doesn't punch Paul out sooner than it happens. Other readers may take issue with Snyder's reliance on scenes involving clunky old cars, a device that's refreshing for only the first few turns. Most of these objections will be made between bouts of laughter, however, as Snyder delivers dialogue that is often strikingly original and adroitly paced. His edgy, appealing characters and deft evocations of seedy Southern California urban life make return visits with Keltner and his cohorts a welcome prospect. Editor, Michael Seidman. (Sept.)