Earl Emerson first won acclaim for his

Thomas Black series of mysteries ( The

Rainy City, Poverty Bay, Nervous Laughter,

Fat Tuesday and Deviant Behavior)Critics

said they were "taut and vivid" (Los

Angeles Times), "intriguing and fast-

paced" (New York Daily News). and

called Emerson "one of the best of the

new private--eye novelists" (Chicago Sun-

Times).

In 1988 Emerson introduced a new

hero--firefighting detective Mac Fon-

tana in Black Hearts and Slow Dancing.

Library Journal raved that the book was

"easily as good as Elmore Leonard s

Glitz," and The New York Times called it

"an expert, readable job, with a likable

hero," and picked it as one of the notable

mysteries of the year.

Help Wanted: Orphans Preferred is Mac

Fontana s eagerly awaited second out-

ing an exciting mix of firefighting,

action, suspense, and murder.

The trouble begins when one of Fon-

tana s men dies unexpectedly at the sta-

tion house. A preliminary invesngation

reveals the cause of death to be rat poison.

It seems someone was trying to offStair-

case s fire department by poisoning

lunch, and the victim was unlucky

enough to sneak a bite before sit-down.