Kai Sung Shih Sung Shih itibaren Sadoogorod Varaksino, Respublika Udmurtiya, Rusya itibaren Sadoogorod Varaksino, Respublika Udmurtiya, Rusya

This isn't so much a novel as a short story stretched out to be a fairly short novel. A man from the NY State sticks, Roger, who's staying in The City for a few days to sell his family's handicrafts to Village stores murders the girl he picks up for a one-night stand, and the next day determines to turn himself in to the 87th Precinct . . . but never quite does. In the mean time he manages for the first time in his life to hook up with a beautiful woman, Amelia, only she's -- gasp! shock! horror! -- black, so he knows his bigoted old bat of a mom back in the cultural desert of small-town upstate New York would never accept her. Although this is classified as an 87th Precinct novel, the guys and gals are peripheral; the suspense derives for our fears that Roger, who's already offed one woman, might decide in his nutty way to do the same to Amelia, who's one of the most appealing characters in the McBain canon -- worth the cover price for her alone. All in all, a slight but very enjoyable book.