Invasions

Izzi's latest chronicle of the mob in Chicago ( Prime Roll ) is a corker. Successful thief Frank Vale, aka the Iceman, awaits his younger brother Jimmy's return from nine years in state prison. The prison-based White Aryan Brotherhood wants to use Jimmy to get Frank to help rub out mob chief Mad Mike Tile, grown soft and a bit crazy with drugs and girls. The Police Reconnaissance and Intelligence for Crime Control (or PRICC) is after a piece of Frank's action. And Frank is seriously considering going straight for the sake of lawyer/child-advocate Tina. A would-be Mafia boss has plans to kill Frank and Jimmy after they off Mad Mike, and the Feds are working undercover to nab the corrupt PRICCs. Despite generally humorless characterization and occasional pop sociologizing, the tale races to its violent climax, with more bodies than a fifth act by Shakespeare. Readers won't be able to put this down. (May)