Sardine Deception

Set in the fragile years following Franco's death in 1975, this colorful thriller by the former Madrid correspondent for Danish TV pits Basque terrorists variously against old-line fascists and against loyalists to Spain's young constitutional monarchy. Poul Jensen plays innocent pawn to all sides when he arrives in San Sebastianin Basque countryto recover the body of his wife, Charlotte, a famous TV reporter from Denmark, who was murdered in the political chaos. In a series of complex double-crosses, the horror of ``La Danesa's beautifully staged death'' unravels, and a more menacing mystery builds: Who is the ``Sardine'' behind the killing? Is it a Basque turncoat? A former Franco crony? The man behind the tinted windshield? The intrigueinterspersed with ruminations on Jensen's children, modern relationships and the contrast between cold Danes and hot Spaniardsunfolds against the background of a surreal Mardi Graslike carnival. (April)