HOLLYWOOD CROWS

Christian Rummel's roles on "Law & Order" were good training for narrating this gritty tale of community relations officers (CROWs) in "La-La Land." He excels at the flip cop jargon as well as a variety of ethnic accents. Incidents with cross-dressers, scofflaws, and the like are woven into the stories of a strip joint owner's ongoing plot to kill his stunning estranged wife, Margot, and her relationship with a policeman with movie star aspirations. Partly due to Rummel's vocal talents, the characters are believable, if not necessarily likable. A lot of energy goes into the climactic bedroom shooting scene, as well as Margot's version of it. Wambaugh's latest novel in audio may leave listeners cynical about the LAPD, but they'll be enthusiastic over Rummel's performance. J.B.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2008]