Hyde

The overall mood of this police procedural about a serial killer of homeless AIDS sufferers in New York is, astonishingly, upbeat and energetic, even chipper-as befits Mahoney's vision of New York as the kind of city where assistant commissioner of the NYPD Brian McKenna (last seen in Edge of the City) can quit his job, take a salary cut and rejoin the ranks as a detective in the 17th Precinct, all because he loves the work. Here, McKenna is assigned to investigate the demise of a homeless man who apparently froze to death. Prodded by the suspicions of his partner, Maureen Kaplowitz, who is famed for the accuracy of her hunches, McKenna uncovers a pattern of murder. His first surmise is that the killer, who calls himself Hyde in a note sent to the cops, is avenging himself on those who gave him AIDS. But the real motive is as surprising as everything else in this well-written tale-countless times, McKenna's initial judgments are proven wrong, usually because he has underestimated everyone from Maureen to Heidi Lane, a sexy young TV reporter who has more on her mind than the news. Even the killer turns out to be more than a maniac out for vengeance. This frequent exceeding of expectations gives Mahoney's tale the high energy of comedy, boosted by sharp, fast-moving dialogue that advances the plot. The result is smart, brisk entertainment. (Jan.)