THE BETRAYAL

Following his first clever legal thriller, THE DEAL, Willett's newest novel had great promise. Taking on the political intrigues of Washington and international politics, bribes and unions--Louisa Shidler has a lot of powerful people turn against her. The plot is clever and has enough implausibility to keep listeners guessing and rooting for the underdog. However, Judith Ivey's performance goes a long way in wiping out the intrigue Willett sets up. She overacts shamelessly, giving loud, often absurd accents to the newspaper cronies who come to Louisa's aid and the French arms dealers who alternately sound like Louis Jordan or thugs from Marseilles. The villain, "the Concierge," could be a stand-in for Cruella de Vil. If you can get beyond these absurdities, Willett's story does deliver. R.F.W. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC/JAN 99]