THE GIFT HORSE

Another of McMullen's easy-to-take crime tales--this time featuring dispirited Darrell Hyde, a 30-ish black-sheep drifter in a family of high-profile achievers, who has recently been entertaining thoughts of killing his dearly supportive Aunt Lally. Why? Because her substantial fortune is willed to him, of course. So Darrell visits Aunt Lally in New Mexico--where she tries to launch the ne'er-do-well on a career, with surprising success. Then, however, while Darrell himself has second-thoughts about murder, Aunt Lally's Good Samaritan instincts put her in the wrong place at the wrong time: she becomes the target for an un-ambivalent murderer; the relatively innocent Darrell is soon in deep trouble. But his new-found confidence--and help from a fortunate (and quite creaky) coincidence--ultimately get him off the hook. Despite more than a few contrivances: a modest serving of warmly entertaining suspense.