CAPITOL MURDER

Fans of the Ben Kincaid series will enjoy this thriller, despite its predictability. In this installment, the Oklahoma trial attorney becomes entwined in national politics as he defends a U.S. Senator caught in a sex scandal. The situation becomes more tenuous when the bimbo in question is found dead. Stephen Hoye's middle-American portrayal of Kincaid, untainted by the cynicism of backroom politics, shows a hint of wit. Hoye's portrayal of the scumbags might be a bit stereotypically slimy, but it adds to the subtle humor of this otherwise pedestrian mystery. Hoye's energetic pace moves the plot along. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 06]