EXCHANGE ALLEY

Detective Francis X. Byrne investigates a murder in NYC, but no one is who he says he is, even Byrne. Herrmann comfortably handles a plot and timeline that jumps between countries and years, and deftly copes with characters who wear two faces and many nationalities. The abridgment mars the continuity of the plot, making the story line difficult to follow. But Herrmann's fluid narration and superb characterizations of Russian, American, Polish and Danish accents keep the listener engaged despite the rapid shifts that make Walsh's tale better suited to print. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC/JAN 01]