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All in the Family
A Review by Anya Yurchyshyn

Troubled cops, revenge-hungry mob bosses, dead women -- these are the things that make life interesting. But when they're stock ingredients in the latest crime thriller they elicit a bit of a yawn. You've read it before. And you'll likely read it again. So when a book like The Strangler, the second novel by William Landay, comes along and serves that typical thriller fare in a smart and surprising way, you sit up and take notice.

Set in Boston during the search for the Boston Strangler and the aftermath of JFK's assassination, The Strangler follows the lives of the three Daley brothers. There's Michael, a prosecutor assigned to the Strangler case, Joe, a cop with a gambling problem and Ricky, jewel thief and ladies man. They are searching for their father's killer and the person who killed Ricky's journalist girlfriend. They're also trying not to get killed by the many people they cross.

Original? No. But Landay definitely tells that story better then others. His book has what you want: plenty of violence, suspense and family intrigue, though it could definitely do with more sex. But that's not a new story either.

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