FREE FALL

Despite an improbable jailbreak and obvious character types--the dangerous, sadistic cop; the dewy ingenue, and her doltish boyfriend--Robert Crais almost manages to make the mean streets of Los Angeles as ferocious as they were in LA REQUIEM. The plot, riddled with bad cops, gangs, and corruption in high places, provides enough excitement and twists to be fun. True, some of the snap has gone out of Elvis Cole's repartee, but Joe Pike is as enigmatic a hero as he ever was. An engaging performance by James Daniels keeps things moving. Daniels provides even the least interesting characters with inner lives by the subtlest change in his tone. With equal touches of irony and insight, he makes Elvis and Joe a great way to spend an evening. S.J.H. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 02]