THE LIZARD'S BITE

It's obvious that David Hewson is fond of his two main characters, Italian cops. Saul Reichlin gives the two cops voices filled with human qualities often lost in the fictional police officer. These men see the gray areas, not just the law. They question everything, including their superiors; in fact, this is the reason that Nic Costa and Gianni Peroni have been banished to Venice from their beloved Rome. A double murder on the glassblowing island of Murano appears simple--the authorities wish it to stay that way--but it grows complex. Though Reichlin has slight trouble with Venetian place names, his characterizations--from the old smokers on city benches to the beautiful young women--are masterful. The plot is as twisted as a Venetian street, and the lessons learned are life-changing for the characters. B.H.B. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 07]