cover image Midtown North

Midtown North

Christopher Newman. Fawcett Books, $5.95 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-449-14689-7

Detective Lieutenant Joe Dante is called in when the body of police captain Warren Mott is discovered in a drug- and prostitute-infested part of Manhattan. Soon after, an armed robber is mortally wounded and found to be in possession of Mott's gun; the mayor announces that the case is solved. But Dante is not happy with the evidence. The murder weapon wasn't found, and Mott was a ``shoofly''--a cop investigating other cops, a cop with enemies. Dante is suspicious, stands up to his superiors and insists on being given more time to solve the case. In the course of the investigation he uncovers information about police corruption and sexual affairs between police partners. Newman ( Midtown South ) sets himself the almost insurmountable task of trying to breathe life into this well-traveled theme. He doesn't succeed. In an attempt to create a charismatic, intriguing detective, Newman has Dante hanging out with a millionaire sculptor, his rock star wife and a few artist's models. But Dante's dialogue fails to convey anything that differentiates him from the cops he shuns. ( May )