Face Off

This small book packs a sizable cast, intricate plotting and expert characterization. Psychic Suzanne Richards, 28, helps resolute 14-year-old Jessie Matthews track down the Kansas City Butcher, a serial killer who has kidnapped Jessie's sister, Amy. Jessie trusts Suzanne's psychic gift because Jessie conjures up potent visions of her own. Working together, they develop a psychic link that becomes critical to saving lives. While hardly the first to use the killer's voice in a thriller, Brookes (Dead Even) succeeds better than most in creating a thorough and convincing profile. Some of the twists and connections stretch credibility a bit, and the swift wrap-up is syrupy by comparison to the body of the book. Still, Face Off is of a caliber to satisfy readers of the genre. (Dec.)