Inspired by the suicide of an heir to the R.J. Reynolds tobacco empire, Katkov (The Judas Kiss, LJ 9/15/91) creates a story of the murder of foppish tobacco heir Kyle Castleton at age 22, presumably by his older wife Faith, one nasty, lying femme. The local sheriff and his son, Wyn, cover the crime scene, and Wyn's infatuation with Faith brings her freedom from murder charges. This is a well-written story, filled with carefully delineated but totally unlikable characters. The novel effectively portrays the bleakness and bigotry of the South in the 1930s.
