ANOTHER FINE MESS

Bridget Montrose fears that her successful first novel was such a fluke that she’ll never write a second. With four small children to raise, the Palo Alto housewife can’t steal any time to work. So her acceptance at the prestigious Ars Ranch, a secluded writers’ retreat near Santa Cruz, seems like a godsend. Her raucous pals Liz and Claudia offer to look after her kids and her helpless husband Emery. Envisioning a pastoral paradise and toney discussions of literature, Bridget finds instead a gossipy snake pit obsessed not with who’s writing what but who’s doing whom. The guests includes a few obviously inspired by real-life writers (like incisive V.J. Sunjupany), and many more generic types like glamorous thriller-spinner Madeline Bates, condescending biographer Ed Weis, and lesbian feminist author Sandra Chastain, attending with Elaine, the girlfriend she can’t keep her hands off. But the strongest impression is made by bestselling novelist Johanna Ashbrook, who bursts drunkenly into Bridget’s room on a desperate search for alcohol just a few minutes after crisp Ars Foundation administrator Sharon Buskins instructs Bridget that “the only rule is no disturbing the other writers in their rooms.” After announcing that her new secret ghostwriter is among the guests, Johanna’s found floating in the ocean, and guest writers set themselves the parlor game of solving her murder. Because of Bridget’s involvement in a prior murder investigation (Revolting Development, 1993), Liz and Claudia crash the ranch to lend moral support—to the chagrin of investigating detective Gonzales.

Fast and upbeat, but not much substance or mystery.