This taut and consistently entertaining successor to Barton's Killer Material (2000) nicely supports Steve Martin's claim, "Comedy is not pretty." With the same fearlessness that marks a seasoned stand-up comedian, which he is, Biff Kincaid risks livelihood and life to track "The Heckler," a serial killer haunting comedy clubs from Las Vegas to Seattle. Whether delivering one-liners or karate kicks, Kincaid is as adept at disarming a hostile crowd as he is at disabling a would-be attacker. Barton skillfully blends crisp dialogue, deft punch lines and convincing action. His graphic descriptions of torture and disfigurement are strong stuff. Don't look here for poisoned cognac or clean bullet holes; instead think: cigarette lighters, pliers, serrated hunting knives. Barton also scores with his on-target skewering of tabloid TV ("Was George Washington our nation's first pothead? The story after this break!") as well as Hollywood superagents, white supremacists and comedians themselves. His portrayal of the insatiable Louie Baxter, a friend of Kincaid's who jumps from club dates to sitcom stardom, recalls the chilling self-destruction of real-life legends John Belushi and Chris Farley. Barton lends the story further verisimilitude by putting Kincaid in such familiar venues as the Comedy Store and the Improv. Make no mistake, though, the author's world of stand-up comedy is more gloom than glamour, the laughs and the brutality equally dark. Agent, Matt Bialer at William Morris.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Genre: Mystery