Spreading Fires by John

Knowles (Random House; $5.95). A pallid contribution from the author of "A Separate Peace," set on Knowles's now rather tiresome French Riviera. Brendan Lucas, a 29-yearold American career diplomat, rents a villa above Cannes for the summer. It comes with an expatriated Canadian cook named Neville, who, it soon becomes clear, is not only a psychopath with homosexual tendencies but a pyromaniac as well. Brendan insists on noticing only that Neville is a bit peculiar until Neville tries to butcher Brendan's visiting family and friends. Whether this ridiculous myopia on Brenda's part is meant as a comment on the diplomatic corps is hard to say. There is much suspense and intrigue (mostly Freudian), but little or no substance. Spreading Fires is another disappointment by an author who once seemed capable of much better work.