CALIBRE

Part police procedural, part stream-of-consciousness musings, this is the story of a London serial killer who doesn't like people with bad manners. He's stalked by the tough-talking Inspector Brant, who fancies himself an author. The action is difficult to follow at times, but it's not Michael Deehy's fault. Delivering the rough accents of Southeast London, Deehy portrays the cops and criminals, shopkeepers and victims while keeping the grit in this pulp mystery. He follows the action well, and the parallels drawn with Ed McBain's 87th Precinct series will attract interest. The language is raw and the characters are hard to like, but fans of the genre and the prolific Bruen will stay tuned. J.B.G. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 07]