Saint Mike

The transformation of a Brooklyn hausfrau into a Claude Montana-clad fed narc on a revenge mission is the axis of Oster's latest work. Continuing the urban, tough ambience of Nowhere Man, an elaborate plot evokes the trendy world of glamorous Manhattan and the Hamptons among the brief attention spans of the very rich with well-developed tastes for expensive drugs, violent toys and lurid sex. Susan Van Meter (""St. Mike'') trained federal agent, now housewife and spouse of an undercover narcotic agent, learns of her husband's murder by an unknown drug merchant. All appearances indicate that Paul Van Meter went ``rouge'': he took the money, and tried to run. Susan wants to find out for herself, so she undergoes retraining and is soon immersed in the spoiled, eurotrash society of the Hamptons demimonde. The story catches interest, but clunky technical flawsoveruse of limited vocabulary, shifting narrative and underdeveloped characterizationsweigh down a potential good read. Literary Guild and Mystery Guild alternates. (October 21)