The Killing Game

Despite a beginning that is overburdened with inconsequential details and misleading clues, this novel by the author of If I Should Die develops into a well-knit thriller complete with a satisfying, if somewhat traditional, ending. The story of a serial killer's brutal slayings and the resultant manhunt is told from the perspectives of several characters, including those of the killer and the police detective who hunts him. But the narrative's major viewpoint belongs to future victim Jeanne Donovan, whose new job as an assistant director has occasioned her move to West Hollywood. An obsessive workaholic, she remains unaware for a long time that a killer is operating in her neighborhood and ignores the instincts that might point to his identity among her acquaintances. Though readers may tire of this labored device, they will enjoy speculating which of the several men with ``ordinary'' lives is a vicious psychopath. (Feb.)