THE MAGICIAN'S TALE

The rougher side of San Francisco--hustlers, transsexuals, prostitutes--is the subject of Kay Farrow's photographs. When Tim, a young male hooker she has befriended, is found brutally murdered, Kay vows to find the killer. Author Hunt coolly informs us at the outset that Kay is an achromat: She's completely color-blind and sees the world only in shades of gray. Lorelei King's deep, seductive voice takes the listener back to Tim's childhood, spent with a professional magician who taught him a repertoire of sinister magic tricks. King's reading is not strong for any of the men introduced. Best as the aloof, moody narrator, she keeps a clipped pace, matching the abridgment of this gritty thriller. R.N. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB 98]