Hot Shot

Hollywood reporter Kieran O'Connor makes a welcome return following the Edgar-nominated debut, Tight Shot (1996). The celebrity columnist is at a definite low, serving a three-month suspension from his L.A. newspaper and living in an apartment that, damaged by an earthquake, has been condemned. He's in no shape to turn down his agent's latest project: co-writing the memoirs of a hooker who had an affair with a dead and discredited TV star named Dick Mann. The situation is rife with satirical possibilities, and Allman scores frequently. There's Kieran's pushy agent, Jocelyn, whose hard-as-nails persona masks a genuine soft spot for Kieran; Kitty Keyes, who struck it rich with Scandal, Inc., which represents only notorious celebrities; and a private hospital--""the elective-surgery capital of Southern California""--that gives posh hotels a run for their money. Kieran manages to get through a first interview with Felina Lopez, the reformed and New Age-ish hooker, and a reading of her ""manuscript."" But, as innocuous as the material appears, someone seems determined to keep it from being published. Soon Kieran is on the run, dodging threats and deadlines and trying to figure out who has the most to hide. (Apr.)