Regression

Detective Karen Orr, first seen in Wishful Thinking , investigates the murder of psychologist David Epstein in this intriguing but overly detailed police caper. Orr's best lead is Terri Walker, who had asked Epstein to hypnotize and regress her to the age of three so she could see the intruders who boarded her parents' fishing boat and killed them with an ax. The possibility that the murders are connected draws Orr, as does the sexy Terri. A lesbian whose only other interest seems to be police work, Orr links Epstein to a man/boy whorehouse, and gradually relates the circumstances of Terri's past and present to Mexican drug smugglers. This interesting cast is unable, however, to push the plot beyond its deliberate pace. Even with Terri's personal mystery, a startling ending and Orr's sexual fantasies, Wyka's tale disappoints. (Aug.)