Breach of Immunity

Despite occasional insights into homosexual views and behavior, Hite's latest ( Class Porn ) is plagued by detectives who rely heavily on unconvincing leaps of intuition, overlong question-and-answer sessions that go over well-trod ground, and bumpy transitions that make the plot difficult to follow. The city of Hinton is beset by a rapist who probably has AIDS, dresses in female clothing and attacks only homosexuals--male and female. Detectives Mike Annunzio and Scilla Carmody and Lt. Anna Blessing battle the skepticism of the gay community, whose members question how seriously the cops are trying to apprehend the rapist, and the indifference of a few older members of the police force who see the crimes as low priority. The investigation snakes in and out of Mike's thoughts about his shaky marriage, Scilla's problems as the daughter of a cop and Anna's rise on the police force, often distracting the reader from the main thrust of the story and blunting the suspense as well as the author's sometimes astute social commentary. (Feb.)