A High Pressure System

Gross ( Hell Bent ) once again shows his street smarts when he sends Jack Mann, ex-cop and now a rent-a-PI, and Bonnie Hudson, TV weather announcer and would-be investigative reporter, on a snappy tour of the politics and media of New York City. Queens Borough President John Fasio, son of a disgraced former Democratic boss, is a well-meaning sort who is preoccupied by a mother with Alzheimer's and a hypochondriac wife. Unfortunately, honest Fasio relies increasingly on his driver/bodyguard Murray Gerber, ``an ex-cop who had spent his whole adult life in a bad mood.'' When New York's mayoralty suddenly looks possible for Fasio, he mistakenly leaves the fund-raising to Gerber. By the end, Fasio and Gerber are mired in a tangle of murder and corruption and Mann and Hudson are in it from start to bloody finish. The book abounds with terrific political, press and cop stories. Even secondary characters--notably old Democratic warhorse Patsy Scotto (Meade Esposito?) and Brit media baron Basil Conway (Rupert Murdoch?)--add to the color and fun. Though Gross begins the story with smart Bonnie doing two dumb things and one mean thing, and he stretches New York's mayoral succession law, readers will overlook these lapses for the sake of a splendid, insightful and funny read. (Feb.)