Katz, Jon. Death Row: A Suburban Detective Mystery
This Suburban Detective mystery is entertaining. This is mostly due to Kit DeLeeuw's colorful and amusing ruminations on teenage angst and the new responsibilities and foibles of the Baby Boomer generation. Katz, in Kit's voice, gets a tad maudlin when he philosophizes about the overwhelming reality of parental death, but he hits enough truth in his distaff chords to be forgiven this indulgence.
The mystery plot itself falls short especially in its hasty conclusion when several small but pivotal details are either too glibly explained or forgotten altogether. Katz's other books in this series (The Father's Club [1997], The Last Housewife [1995], The Family Stalker [1994], Death By Station Wagon [1993], and Sign Off [1991]) were more satisfying even though the plot in this book measures up to his others in tone.
Katz gives us terrific glimpses into the DeLeeuw posse--Plain James, the colorful transvestite; Luis, the savvy Cuban lawyer/burger joint manager; Willie, reformed hacker and computer whiz; and Evelyn, Kit's geriatric undercover secretary.
All in all worth the read but not up to his usual vivacity and pacing.
Leane M. Ellis, September 30 1998.
Lucius Beebe Memorial Library - This page last updated 9/30/98 - lme.