THE STRANGLER

This family saga chronicles the Daley family, whose three brothers represent different sides of the law. The lives of a lawyer, a thief, and a corrupt cop are intertwined by kinship and crime. Stephen Hoye carries the detailed and ever-present dialogue well. He nails the Boston accent, and, from crime boss to widowed mom, each character is portrayed in his or her own voice. Although the setting is predominant, Hoye's pacing moves the novel's plot along. Boston's political landscape of the 1960s is woven into the narrative, and the social commentary is apparent. Using the case of the Boston Strangler as the focal point and the JFK assassination as a backdrop, this story is a convolution of greed, family ties, and revenge. D.L.M. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/ JUL 07]