Murder on 34th Street

The irrepressible former New York City mayor continues his role as incumbent sleuth in the third outing (Murder at City Hall; Murder on Broadway) of a concept created, according to the publisher's credits, by Herbert Resnicow. In this one, the mayor (still in City Hall in his fictional persona) discovers who is slaying the Christmas Santas at New York's biggest store (a thinly disguised Macy's), puts himself on the line to bring the murderer to book and, in the intervals, deals with such other top-level problems as a major snowfall and a suit filed by a homeless person to prevent the city from forcing homeless people indoors in freezing weather. Koch as author-narrator retains his real-life personality, reveling in his recognition and demonstrating anew the self-congratulatory smugness that would sometimes grate on the populace during his terms of office. The mystery itself is a mild one, although the solution is somewhat of a surprise; the main appeal is the gimmick of having the mayor, complete with bodyguards, going around questioning suspects and, for New Yorkers, the dashes of authentic local color. The tale is extremely lightweight, no matter how endearing Koch's efforts to stay in the limelight may be to his fans. (Nov.)