GUILTY PARTY
by Marian Babson
Another outing for the indefatigable Babson (Fatal Fortune, etc.), this time a rather bedraggled exercise that finds American artist Leonora Rice rebounding from a traumatic affair, renting the gardener's cottage on Lady Cosgreave's English estate, and hoping to work in peace for an upcoming exhibit. Lady Cosgreave's roving- eyed daughter Bunty and financial whiz son-in-law Eddie live in the manor house; other estate dwellings are occupied by various gossipy, hard-drinking types, augmented on weekends by more of the same. When Leonora discovers the body of disgruntled ex-gardener Horton, she's quickly hustled out of the picture—the body disappears, not to be heard of again until Eddie nearly becomes a second corpse. Murder, motivation, and common sense take a backseat here to reams of Noel Cowardish dialogue and byplay. A tiresome mishmash, strictly for forgiving fans.