THE FORGOTTEN

When the synagogue of LAPD Lt. Peter Decker and wife Rina Lazarus is vandalized, Decker's investigation and Lazarus's research uncover white supremacists, family secrets, murder, and therapists who exploit the alienated children of the wealthy. Dennis Boutsikaris fails to do justice to Kellerman's newest Decker/Lazarus book. He repeatedly mispronounces Hebrew and Yiddish works intrinsic to the Jewish setting. His narrative voice is adequate, but his characterizations are uneven at best. His accents strain credulity. Nevertheless, the story is absorbing and suspenseful, with a full cast of intriguing characters and a dramatic resolution. The culture of disaffected teens in the affluent neighborhoods of Los Angeles provides a perfect setting. Decker's complex relationship with his troubled stepson is woven seamlessly into the plot with moving results. A good read deserves a better reader. E.S. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 02]