In an intricately plotted psychological drama, a mysterious, charismatic English butler derails the marriage of his master, a young aristocrat, and his fiance+a7e, sending them both off on strange and dark paths. 35,000 first printing. $35,000 ad/promo. The friends and relatives of Edward Lannion and Marian Fox are gathered at Hatting Hall in readiness for their wedding. On the night before the ceremony is to take place, however, Edward receives word that Marian cannot go through with it. Thus begins a search for the missing Marian that will significantly change the course of events. Although this is lighter than the usual fare served by Murdoch (The Green Knight, LJ 12/1/93), it still explores the big religious and philosophical questions. And as usual, there is a mysterious figure hovering at the periphery, quietly affecting the lives of all the players. In this case, it is a manservant called Jackson, who has insinuated himself into the lives of the main characters and who, while attending to their needs, has made himself indispensable. Although not quite up to Murdoch's usual standards, this romantic novel is recommended for literary collections. -?Barbara Love, Kingston P.L., Ontario Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. With 25 novels in the bank, Murdoch has decided to have fun, so her twenty-sixth is a romp as well as a homage to that master of convoluted comedy, Shakespeare. Murdoch has adopted a syncopated, slightly mocking tone, and many scenes have a distinctly theatrical air. She has also achieved a disarming sense of timelessness, due in part to the fact that her eccentric characters, a close-knit circle of friends, are extremely well-off and spend their days and nights dashing between their country estates and their London houses. They seem utterly free of responsibilities but quite burdened by tragic pasts and a great deal of remorse. The tale begins on the eve of a wedding. Edward of Hatting Hall is to marry the lovely Marian. Benet, his rather fussy and reclusive friend and neighbor, is in charge of the proceedings. He's also the one who finds Marian's hasty note calling the whole thing off. Everyone is thrown into a tizzy. As they all wait for further word and worry about suicide and abduction, we learn their painful secrets in scenes notable for their dramatic intensity. These dark interludes play in counterpoint to lighter moments as Murdoch treats us to a giddy series of felicitous surprises. But who is Jackson? He's a mysterious, Caliban-like fellow who works for Benet and is instrumental in transforming disaster into bliss. If Murdoch were to choose a Shakespearean title for this brilliant and charming novel, it would have to be All's Well That Ends Well. Donna Seaman Iris Murdoch has been a Fellow of Saint Anne's College, Oxford since 1948, where she taught philosophy for many years.