RED RABBIT

Tom Clancy is usually a master at creating excitement and intrigue, but not this time. The attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II in 1981 provides the background for this look at CIA agent Jack Ryan's early career. Ed Foley and his wife, agents in Moscow, and "Red Rabbit," aka Oleg Zaizev, a KGB communi-cations officer, are the central figures investigating the papal assassination plot. Scott Brick's performance enlivens RED RABBIT as much as the stilted dialogue allows. From Washington and Politburo intrigues to Ryan's English opposites, Brick switches accents with ease. While the insider information is always interesting, not even 18 cassettes can get this cumbersome novel off the ground. Brick's winning reading makes it worth listening to, but only die-hard Clancy fans won't be disappointed. S.J.H. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 02/ JAN 03]