THE TAMARIND SEED

A competent, pleasing little novel of suspense with a side order of love interest in which international intelligence buzzards pick at the love roost of British Judith and Russian Feodor. The mutual admiration of the pair on a Barbados holiday would have attracted little notice were it not that Feodor Sverdlov was a top U.S.S.R. intelligence agent, and Judith an assistant in a sensitive U.N. post. When the two return to the States, dossiers are fattened and pressure is brought to bear by both governments, complicated by the machinations of ""Blue,"" a high-placed British security leak. Judith and Feodor (who is due for a fall because of his ""moderate"" stance) cope with counterspying as best they can and it all ends with defection, escape and a big bang. But it's lyubov, luv, that finally overturns the files. Agreeable.