THE STIFF UPPER LIP
By
Ex-Californian, currently Parisian shamus B. F. Cage is up to his old tricks--that terrifically stylish delivery, those terrifically confusing plots. This one involves rival French gangsters, expatriate black American basketball players now dribbling in Paris (one of whom is murdered; one of whom is Cage's client, sort of), game-fixing, and drug-smuggling. If you're willing to keep track of the quickchanging setups and shakedowns, you can enjoy some of Israel's rapid-fire dialogue, Cage's wry American-in-Paris narration (as he gets beaten up, framed, and chased), and his latest--mostly platonic--female crony, a chic mademoiselle who smoothly picks his pocket at first sight. A mixed blessing.