by Duncan Kyle
John Leyden, the pivotal figure of this suspense novel, seems the ideal liberalish candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination. A popular junior senator with a spotless record, he is also photogenic, married to a onetime movie star and the father of six adopted children from war-torn nations. Leyden's campaign staff is certain he can beat the incumbent Republican, an unnamed, aging favorite described as "the sympathetic, smiling man with the charm and the bright one-liners." Leyden knows little about his paternal grandparents, so just to be safe, the senator's staff arranges for a quiet investigation of his Irish roots. It is a move they regret. As British genealogist Warwick Todd begins to uncover a dark, politically disastrous heritage, Leyden's devoted campaign manager, Zee Quist, and his unscrupulous half brother and aide, "Brother Bill" Crombie, must make some tough decisions. Honest, unaware John may have to be told about his imperfect forebears. The press—or the Republicans-might get wind of the facts. The dogged genealogist could turn up something worse. Kyle, who has written 10 novels, knows how to keep the suspense going. By tossing in an explosion here, a murder or a romance there, he makes even Todd's paper chase through 19th-century public records seem exciting. He also has a deft comic touch, most evident in his characterization of Bill Crombie, the bad-guy brother. This isn't the most plausible of fiction, but it is a political thriller with class. (Henry Holt, $16.95)
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