The Midnight Club

Robert Forster is so relaxed that he makes oatmeal seem adventurous. Further, his western New York accent, which turns the word "absolutely" into "EBsolutely," is distracting. Together, these qualities don't seem like the best match with the cops-and-crime world of James Patterson. But Forster, who truly is a talented actor, ultimately triumphs. By the time Patterson wraps up this adventure, which pits a wheelchair-bound NYPD detective and his book-writing girlfriend, against a secret society of high-level mobsters, Forster proves his worth. Patterson has created several plot lines that ultimately converge in scenes of well-drawn tension, and no one translates such tension better than Forster. D.W. (c) AudioFile, Portland, Maine

January 1, 1989
Edgar-winner Patterson ( The Jericho Commandment )he is also chairman of J. Walter Thompson USAalmost captures the slick, conspiracy-theory giddiness of pre- Prizzi Richard Condon. While leading a raid against top drug-dealer Alexandre (``the Grave Dancer'') St.-Germain, New York police Lieutenant John (``Stef'') Stefanovitch is caught in a devastating ambush and crippled. French-born St.-Germain, enforcing and enjoying his harsh, ``street law'' terror, kills Stef's wife. Two years later St.-Germain is gunned down in a posh Manhattan brothel. Hidden videotapes catch St.-Germain asking, ``Is it the Midnight Club?'' Wheelchair-bound Stef, with true-crime bestselling writer Sarah McGinniss, starts to uncover an international crime cartel making billions a year, and a secret NYPD execution squad. Plenty of gore, many plot twistssome quite murkyand a little sex will keep readers turning pages up to the melodramatic, rather unlikely ending. 50,000 first printing; $50,000 ad/promo; author tour.