Exceptional Clearance

Though George Guidall is not one of this listener's favorite performers, this reading is exceptional. Guidall's aging, distinguished voice lends itself to the police procedural and adds a touch of zest to the civilian characters. Lt. John Vinda has been in disfavor for several years because his squad killed--rather than arrested--too many perpetrators. Now Vinda is assigned to track down a serial killer of women who's also bent on avenging himself on the NYPD. Guidall's characterization of the killer is truly fearsome, and his accents are totally believable. This is one of Guidall's best narrations. A.L.H. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine

July 29, 1991
A steaming witch's brew of a tale about a serial killer bent on revenge against the entire New York City police force, Caunitz's ( One Police Plaza ) latest blockbuster recipe combines his lifetime of police work with a hint of Hollywood, a helping of women's rights, a bit of bombing, a touch of Transylvania and a pinch of S & M. After a second young black woman is found with her throat ripped out, the NYPD appoints rogue-male Lieutenant John Vinda to head up a task force. The subsequent murder of a white Sutton Place heiress belies a racial motive and prompts protests by angry women's groups, leading to the addition of two female detectives to the task force. The discovery of a fourth body by a famous movie star in the dressing room of a ritzy Fifth Avenue salon turns the case into a media circus. The lady cops pull off some outrageous interrogation techniques amid right-on characterizations of New York types. Never mind that the plot is a little contrived or that the cops have apparently gone through sensitivity training or that the ending may be unintentionally humorous--this book is great entertainment. 100,000 first printing; $100,000 ad/promo; Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club selections.