Long Close Call.

J. Wallis Martin. 2000/2001. Read by Ewan Stewart. 8 tapes, 8 hrs. Chivers

North America. 0-7540-0668-9. $69.95. Vinyl binder: plot, author, reader notes. A

Robbie McLaughlan's life has been one long close call. As a member of a London police squad acting on a tip about an imminent bank robbery, Robbie shoots and kills one of the would-be robbers who has taken a child hostage. The dead man is a member of the villainous and powerful Swift family, known for exacting memorable revenge. McLaughlan is unhinged with fear and the need to protect his family; his fellow officers believe that he is suffering from a common traumatic response to killing someone in the line of duty. Robbie's reaction is complicated by his villainous uncaring father, known for his physical prowess and brutality. When Robbie's son is kidnapped by the Swifts, he seeks, and gets, the help of this long-estranged father.

The story is tightly crafted, filled with detail and crunchy dialogue, both in the main plot and in several sub-plots. Reader Stewart is among the best. His intensity and pacing are perfectly suited to the material, and he does an excellent job voicing the Scottish accents, from all classes. A graphic and gory thriller very well read, Vivian E. Berg, Mandan, ND