Keeper of the City

The author of Shadow of the Beast and other novels has created a frightening portrait of madness. Vince Benedetto is a 33-year-old reporter for a suburban Chicago newspaper. For years he's been planning a major expose of the Mobhis father is loosely ""connected''but never gets around to it. His ineffectiveness turns into self-disgust and his delusions (he sees his wife as a predatory bird) become stronger. After an embarrassing scene with his father, Vince decides he'll ``cleanse'' the Mafia. He shotguns a capo and sends a note to a Chicago columnist: ``Organized Crime is Dying.'' Then Vince kills again, sending another note. The columnist makes the ``Gangster Killer'' a hero. Vince's mind deteriorates further and he turns on his wife and son. But close on his trail is tough, intuitive detective Jim Dela, out to get the crazy killer who's ``gone Hollywood.'' Screenwriter DiPego's short, cinematic scenes have pace and crackle. His greatest achievement, however, is the terrifying plausibility of Vince, even as he sinks to praying to his crazy dead grandmother and his shotgun, the ``Holy Instrument.'' A couple of scenes should be read with all the lights on. (May 15)