THE PEARL HARBOR MURDERS

Max Allan Collins's novels merge history and fiction; THE PEARL HARBOR MURDERS continues this pattern, focusing on the bombing of Pearl Harbor. With Edgar Rice Burroughs as a key player, the book intertwines the events of December 7, 1941, with the murder of Asian singer Pearl Harada. Burroughs, an unlikely person to solve a murder, knew Pearl and finds her body. With his son Hully, he inquires into the death and finds a bevy of suspects, including many ex-boyfriends, racists, and others. Charlie O'Dowd gives an uneven performance. At times he is marvelous, giving "personality" to the many characters, but at other times, the book seems to bore him. D.J.S. (c) AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC/ JAN 02]