SCARLET NIGHT

The impulsive purchase of a painting in a Soho gallery starts another dangerous chain of events for Julie Hayes, the well-bred kook who consorted with various low-lifes in A Death in the Life (1976). Here she's buddies with Sweets Romano, an ex-gangster now into art collecting--and when Julie shows Sweets the painting, he discovers the Leonardo drawing concealed behind it. Sweets uses his clout and contacts to ferret out the drawing's shady provenance--who stole it for whom--and he devises an intricate plan to get the drawLng back to Italy and capture the enormous purchase price for himself and his pals. The plan certainly works, though the suspense is nearly smothered in the dense detail involved. And Davis keeps things buoyant with her engaging cast--unflappable Julie, sweet Sweets, not-too-villainous crooks--and her impressive ability to stay effortlessly up-to-date. Fresh produce from an old pro.