Kiss the Hibiscus Good Night

When one of her staff is murdered on the exotic Caribbean island of Jordralia, world-famous decorator Margo Eveningstar investigates, uncovering political intrigue, drug trafficking, and wild sexual encounters

This inept, incoherent mish-mash begins with the murder of an interior decorator's assistant on the St. Croix-like Caribbean isle of Jordrolia, and ends with the howling chaos too much alliteration of Hurricane Hugo. In his fiction debut Varney ( The Draper Touch ) ? CK ,title is ok; refers to well known decorator Dorothy Draper/sss an interior decorator to the rich and famous, concentrates on the glitzy aspects of life on the exotic island and fails to make the murder much of a puzzle; the story contains a villain but no detective, and the killer's identity is revealed by a minor character, almost as an afterthought. Varney seems more interested in describing sex and drug adventures and the decorating trade among the glamorous than in developing convincing action or characters.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Mini dolce vita on a fictional Caribbean isle but, with all the pretty exotica and glittery people, more decorative than vital. ``The hibiscus live only for one day. Then we kiss them good night.'' The good night, here, for arty pros, enterprising natives of the island, crocks and cranks and young things, is a hurricane- -its thrilling progress viewed in impressive detail. Among the off-islanders, permanently or temporarily settled on Jordralia--the exquisite jeweled island of turquoise bay, lush emerald greens, and masses of tropical flowers--are Margo Eveningstar, world-famous decorator who wears a poodle skirt to a party (``Who does she think she is, Sandra Dee?''); her second-in- command, Christian, who's father of young Ian and the husband of not-nice Amanda the designer (who's discovered the endowments and energy of native boatman Apollo); an ersatz baroness whose accent changes every few minutes; and designer Alfredo, a droll troll (gay slang is dribbled here and there) who is arrested for the murder of a young man of talent in design. We'll find out who did it, but with all the chatter (``Veronica, you're so noir tonight!''), the astonishing scenery, and churning of convivial groups, plus the storm, the murder barely simmers on the back burner. Shiny bright, often entertaining--and ephemeral. -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

All the steamy television miniseries elements are here: a fictitious island paradise, cocaine smuggling, murder, and, of course, rich-and-famous types and their sycophants who endlessly betray one another when not spending money. Varney, president of a prominent interior design firm, fills his first novel with too much shop talk, too many unappealing characters, and too much poor writing. You know there's trouble when that island nation is awkwardly named "Jordralia." Not recommended.
- A.J. Wright, Univ. of Alabama, Birmingham
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.