THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 9, 1995 TAG: 9507100188
SECTION: COMMENTARY PAGE: J2 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Book Review
LENGTH: Medium: 93 lines
FUGITIVE COLORS
MARGARET MARON
Mysterious Press. 260 pp. $18.95.
FUGITIVE COLORS is set in the upper-crust art world of New York City and marks the return of author Margaret Maron's NYPD Lt. Sigrid Harald after a five-year absence. Maron's other famous creation is attorney Deborah Knott of mythical Colleton County, N.C.
Harald's lover, artist Oscar Nauman, is killed in an accident, and she is torn apart by anguish. To complicate things, Oscar has left Sigrid all of his paintings, forcing her to deal with the art world and its inhabitants. In the midst of her grief, one of the gallery owners is murdered.
Maron, who lives near Raleigh, vividly portrays this splashy environment, but her pacing is problematic. The author introduces so many characters up front that it is difficult to keep them all straight. Sigrid's first definitive action occurs about a third of the way into the book when she dumps all her accumulated paperwork in the trash; up to this point, because she's been reacting to events, she seemed fuzzy, without focus. Murder victims are also thinly sketched.
The novel belatedly picks up steam, and Maron brings the various elements together, tying them off skillfully in the end. Chances are her more impatient fans will not make it that far.
- SANDRA M. LOUDEN
THE PLAN
STEPHEN J. CANNELL
William Morrow & Co. 420 pp. $23.
The plan in smash-hit television writer Stephen J. Cannell's first novel is to get a Mafia-controlled candidate elected president of the United States.
The action in The Plan, as fast-paced as any created by Cannell for ``The Rockford Files,'' ``Baretta,'' ``Wiseguy'' and ``Hunter,'' among other TV shows, builds around Ryan Bolt, an Emmy Award-winning writer-producer. Ryan is now a has-been because of torment over the drowning death of his son, and his one-time school chum, Mickey Alo, a Mafia don. Mickey spearheads the presidential campaign: When his groomed choice wants to renege, he has him bumped off and replaced by the Rhode Island governor.
Drawn into the campaign, Ryan quickly balks when he discovers its implications, becoming a target for murderous reprisal. He manages to stave off numerous attempts on his life as he forms an alliance with Mickey's beautiful sister, Lucinda, and a cashiered FBI man, Solomon Kazorowski. The three set out to derail the Mob's train to the White House.
Cannell creates great action scenes, sharp if somewhat hackneyed dialogue, and a batch of Runyonesque characters, most of them stereotypes with such names as ``New York Tony,'' ``Thirteen'' Weeks, ``Six-Fingers'' Romano, ``Dr. Jazz'' and ``Toozday'' Rohmer.
Cannell's strength is in crafting campaign strategy. The Plan has a brash, forceful plot that is loaded with twists and suspense.
- BILL ROACH
MIND PREY
JOHN SANDFORD
G.P. Putnam's Sons. 323 pp. $23.95.
USUALLY, kidnapping and ransom go hand in hand. But, as Chief Deputy Lucas Davenport is soon to find, this isn't your usual kidnapping. First, it happened in the middle of the day, in the open for all to see. Next, instead of one victim there are three: Andi Manette and her two daughters, ages 9 and 12. And, of course, there's Manette herself. A psychiatrist by trade, she is the daughter of a prominent Minnesota politician and the estranged wife of a very wealthy developer. In all, there are plenty of motives, plenty of suspects and plenty of pressure on Lucas to solve the crime before one of the victims turns up dead . . . or worse.
With his seventh book John Sandford proves again that he's nothing if not inconsistent. Unlike his last three efforts, which were far from stellar, Mind Prey has more than enough to keep his fans happy. The plot is interesting, most of the characters are nicely drawn and their interplay keeps everything moving at an engaging, entertaining clip.
Mind Prey has problems, too. Sandford's style is occasionally awkward, his dialogue doesn't always ring true and his protagonist, Davenport, is still a less-than-likable, two-dimensional character (though he is getting better). But none of these is enough to ruin the overall effort.
More similar in quality to his first book (Rules of Prey) than his best (Eyes of Prey), Mind Prey is nevertheless a pleasant reminder of what initially made Sandford popular. If we're lucky, maybe it's a portent of things to come, too.
- GREGORY N. KROLCZYK by CNB