Stone Shadow

For his third Detective Jack Eichord thriller, the author of Slob and Frenzy trots out the latest psychological research to update the ancient plot device of the evil twin. Miller spends far too much time depicting the twisted psyche of the suspected serial killer, too little developing a story to contain him. As a result, the book plods pk mercilesslybetter word?gs , its most dramatic episodepk occurring in the first 10 pages. Particularly self-indulgent are the scanty, confusing encounters that take place inside the weaker twin's head, showing the wicked sibling's sadistic grasp on his brother's will. Instead of increasing the suspense, they interrupt the book's rhythms. Innumerable clumsy pk interrogation?? scenes are similarly detrimental to the overall pace. There are some chilling moments told from the potential victims' points of view but these don't coalesce into a satisfying whole. (Nov.)