Eyes of Prey

April 1, 1991
Sandford ( Shadow Prey ) brings back Minneapolis police Lt. Lucas Davenport in this terrific, fast-moving psycho-thriller/procedural featuring one of the nastiest villains in recent fiction. Michael Bekker, a pathologist fixed on his own beauty, various high-powered drugs and hatred of his wife, also is obsessed with the eyes of the dead and dying. He joins forces with Carlo Druze, an actor with a face ruined by fire, to kill Bekker's wife and the theater manager who wants to cashier Druze. Druze kills and mutilates Mrs. Bekker when Bekker's out of town; Bekker returns the favor when Druze has a solid alibi, leading the Minneapolis police to suspect a serial killer. Fighting depression, estranged from his lover and their child, Davenport seeks a frightened mystery witness, Mrs. Bekker's lover, who tries to help while remaining hidden. To cover their tracks Bekker and Cruze go on a murderous, almost random rampage providing many gory scenes, but mercifully none too explicit. Nobody's safe from Bekker's drug-powered cunning, not sick children nor a helpless invalid. The final revelation of the unknown lover is wrenching. Pulitzer-winning journalist ``Sandford'' also writes as John Camp ( The Empress File ). BOMC and Mysterious Book Club alternates.

Reader Richard Ferrone gives life to this gripping story which confronts us with the uncomfortable truth that dark demons haunt the souls of many men--both bad guys and good. Ferrone's deliberate presentation gives each word its own identity and appropriate place in this gruesome account of murder and mutilation. His skillful use of tone, pitch and volume draws the listener into the deepest reaches of each killer's persona. The narration also elicits empathy as the good guy struggles with his own shortcomings and failures. Ferrone is perfectly matched to the material. If all the titles in this series are this good, they should be available in every library. T.J.M. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine