Fresh Kills

Staten Island native Loehfelm takes readers on a thrilling journey as one man searches for his father's killer while trying to come to terms with his troubled past. John Sanders Jr. hates his father for years of abuse and violence, but finds himself compelled to seek revenge upon his killer for stealing his opportunity to get even with the old man himself. Gary Wilmes gives a slightly underplayed performance, never quite capturing the raw emotion and ever-present sadness that resounds in Sanders's heart. Yet his sullen, melancholic tone plants the listener into the story headfirst and drags them deeper and deeper into the investigation. As a thriller, the story works well and Wilmes draws a few gasps, but overall his characters are flat and underdeveloped. Much like John Sanders Jr.'s thirst for revenge, the audience may find themselves unsatisfied at the close. A Putnam hardcover (Reviews, July 7). (Sept.)