THE CASE OF THE FRAGMENTED WOMEN

Bored San Francisco housewife Mary Sable is suddenly involved in a spate of unboring events. Her oldest friend Jill Taylor is a suspect in the murder of promiscuous TV soap-opera star Hermione Leanders. Mary's networking group of women friends have appointed her to try to get Jill off the hook. Jill's husband Richard, a writer for Heart's Desires, had been sleeping with Hermione, whose official lover was Patrick Henry O'Brian, millionaire sponsor of the soap, owner of the TV station, good ol' boy head of the slightly shady franchising operation Spine and Sunshine Corporation, and much into S-M and orgies. Parts of Hermione's remains make bizarre appearances around town as Mary struggles with her three-children household, now augmented by bearded brother-in-law Roger--an unemployed, self-proclaimed healer--and his raunchy teen-aged daughter Storm. Mary still manages to sandwich in a little adultery and a lot of sleuthing between the chores. A wildly unreal plot and a score of off-the-wall characters are grist to the mill for Jones' antic wit, sardonic eye and ear and easy flowing style. Suspend belief and enjoy.