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Neel, Janet

To Die For

London, Constable. 240 pp. £16.99.

The Cafe de la Paix, known as the Caff, is in London's Covent Garden (habituees will recognize it). It has a long, curving bar such as barmen are proud of and drinkers adore. It can seat 250 and usually does - twice a day! It is a success. It was created by two school friends, Judith Delves and Selina Marsh-Hayden. They open a second restaurant and the Gemini Group offers to buy them out. Selina's husband would like the money. Judith's lover wants her to run a house in the country. Selina advises her friend, "Just don't get married, it ruins everything." Pressed on all sides, the two women refuse to sell.

Selina is murdered.

The sleuth is Detective Chief Superintendent John McLeish and he opens a trail of unwise liaisons. Why must people mix their sexual liaisons with monetary liaisons? Especially rich and successful women, who get involved with no-goodniks. The author doesn't answer those questions, but certainly raises them. But having got involved can the rich and successful women get out reasonably unharmed? Not quite.

A nice mixture of wayward Londoners, financial and personal skullduggery and chicanery that will keep you entertained make you wonder what goes on in plush restaurants when the door to the kitchen shuts.

Janet Neel (Cohen), her husband and three children live in N. London. She has been a restaurateur, civil servant, worked in a merchant bank, is now a Governor of the BBC, a non-executive director and much, much more.