Smash Cut

Starred review from June 22, 2009
This superlative romantic thriller from bestseller Brown (Smoke Screen
) features a particularly memorable villain, sociopath Creighton Wheeler, who’s obsessed with re-enacting scenes from films like Strangers on a Train
and Frenzy
. When Creighton’s wealthy uncle, Paul Wheeler, is shot dead in an apparent robbery at an Atlanta hotel, Paul’s close friend, gallery owner Julie Rutledge, attempts to persuade the police that Creighton ordered the hit. Creighton’s father asks Derek Mitchell, a criminal lawyer, to represent the accused Creighton, but Derek declines because he had a plane tryst en route to Paris with Julie after Paul’s murder. Angered by Derek’s refusal, Creighton stalks Julie; targets Derek’s dog, Maggie; and plots to kill the ex-girlfriend of his henchman, Billy Duke, after Billy has second thoughts about helping Creighton. Brown skillfully charts Julie and Derek’s quest to catch the slippery fiend. Multiple smash cuts (abrupt scene shifts) lead to a wonderfully frenzied finish.

After Paul Wheeler is murdered in front of his mistress, Julie Rutledge, she is determined to prove the murderer is his creepy movie-obsessed nephew. Once Julie teams with defense attorney Derek Mitchell, Brown fans know that steamy sex, dramatic plot twists, and an explosive conclusion will follow. With clear articulation, a steady, even pace, and a wonderfully masculine baritone, Victor Slezak makes Brown's novel melt off the page. His male characters ooze power and sexiness with coarse voices and Southern drawls. Slezak skillfully feminizes Julie's voice by using softer whispered tones. Brown fans will love this intense thriller involving a family rivalry gone wrong. A.R.H. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine