--The Don't Give a [fronk] Bears
--Old Fords asea in waves of old magazines
--Trophy heads holding [bicycles, tennis raquets, etc. (but is there REALLY an etcetera with David Mach?))

With many modern artists, one looks at their art (title: "A Waste of Perfectly Good Steel") and ask, "Why?" One looks at the art of David Mach and says, "I don't want to know."

To me, thankfully, the 'Deadly . . .' books by Paul Myers are in this latter category, as classical music is one of my passions, and Mr. Myers knows very well whereof he writes! Having spent his working career as a producer and recording engineer for some of the biggest names in the classical music world, (The Cleveland Orchestra and George Szell among them) he is very well equipped to write about the musical world.

His travels, obviously, also provided him with background information about the major cities and concert halls in his world. The reader may never be fortunate enough to visit these marvelous venues in person, but the six books in this series will take you to a good many of them, as Mark Holland does dual-duty as an artist's agent and previous-but-dragged-into-it-again undercover agent for the UKs 'Department'.

This first book, written well in advance of the curtain's descent leans heavily on the rescue of an East German scientist twelve years before the story opens. It appears that he's now stumbled on an important discovery -- a deadly formula for germ warfare. Since Mark is the man who brought him out from behind the Wall, he trusts him -- and only him -- so Mark is brought back into the department. Temporarily.

Of course, it doesn't work quite that way -- once an agent, always an agent, it seems. In spite of his protests Mark finds himself in Vienna, New York and London before returning home to Geneva and yet more treachery. Music lovers will enjoy the tidbits of gossip, while trying to figure out 'who is this?' whereas those readers who like espionage- type thrillers should be satisfied with this fast-paced story that abounds in twists and turns. The final clue is a dandy! It could only have happened in a musical world. I'm off to re-read Deadly Cadenza, the next book in the series. Too bad the series can't be re-issued!

However, during a performance, someone kills Serge. With little to go on, Neal begins to make inquiries. However, he also uses his time to finish up his mess from last year since the head of the drug ring was never busted. Neal realizes he is not quite the superman he felt he was before the drug ring case, but worse yet, his own agency has little confidence in the agent anymore.

DEATH OF A MARIONETTE is the paperback version of a fabulous espionage thriller released in the middle nineties. The story line retains its crispness even though the EU has moved way beyond that of the novel. Neal is a fantastic character who provides insight into the psyche of the Viet Nam vet, which in turn explains why he needs to stay in the "cold." The support cast adds drama and tension as the audience wonders what each one has up their sleeve and if that individual will betray the hero. Frank M. Robinson and Paul Hull provides sub-genre fans with a triumphant thriller.

Harriet Klausner