SACRED AND PROFANE

The second in the Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus series (1987) finds Decker on loan from the Juvenile Division to Homicide, investigating L.A.'s sleazy underbelly. Decker's encounters include teenaged runaways, prostitution, child pornography, and snuff films. Further, Decker and Rina's relationship is on the line, as Decker is unable to commit to Orthodox Judaism just to please her. Mitch Greenberg's skillful performance turns Kellerman's well-drawn characters into flesh and blood. Greenberg keeps Yiddish accents from being stereotypes, even singing a Hebrew blessing beautifully. Children sound childlike, women sound womanly, and his urban street toughs, pimps, and hookers never sound like caricatures. With enough plot twists to satisfy, fans will be well pleased with Greenberg's understated, controlled voicing of this popular series. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2008]