Photographer Claire Breslinsky, visiting her prospective house in Richmond Hill, Queens, is delighted to find that one of her new neighbors is her old friend Theresa (``Tree'') Medicino. But before Claire and her family can move in, Tree is dead, apparently of a stroke--though Claire's convinced she's been killed by her husband Andrew Dover, who's callously installed a satellite dish on their house, taken up with Portia McTavish, and parked his neglected daughter Dharma with Claire. Taking time out from an endless round of cute family crises--her sister Carmela, whose husband is still in love with Claire, has written a play to star her sister Zinnie; Claire's old guru Swamiji arrives with a disciple en route to Berkeley; motherly child-killer Mrs. Dixon (Park Lane South, Queens, 1990) has escaped from the asylum--Claire manages to stumble on the not-very- interesting solution. As before: much boisterous domestic intrigue, laced with lethal doses of tedious Irish charm and just enough mystery to leave you thoroughly exasperated.
