Special Victims

At first, there seems little new or different about this debut thriller, but Gaitano pulls off some unexpected tricks; few readers will foresee where the dramatic twists will lead by the novel's end. Veteran Chicago cop Tony Tulio, head of a homicide squad that investigates murders of affluent victims, is on the trail of a serial killer who murders for vital organs. Both Tulio and art collector Paul Harris are in love with D.A. Marian Hannerty. That triangle doesn't lead to a traditional cat-and-mouse trackdown, however, because none of these characters is a stereotype. Tulio, a widower with a guilty secret, is psychologically close to the edge; his rage upon learning that Marian is favoring Harris leads to tragic consequences. Harris is a psychopath with another identity: he is also the ``Collector,'' who harvests the organs for clients able to pay. When the liver he ``acquires'' for the dying daughter of a Mafia don fails to save the girl, he finds himself in hot water with the mob. None of this cast is exactly likable and the plot features numerous chance events and coincidences, but Gaitano's sharp characterization and deft shifts in unanticipated directions make this a gripping read. Gaitano is an author to keep an eye on. (Feb.)