Puzo's 1969 potboiler and the 1972 Oscar-winning film version caused the popular definition of godfather to change from "surrogate parent" to "criminal leader." Title character Don Vito Corleone is patriarch of the most powerful of the five New York crime families. He takes complete care of his people, who in return obey him implicitly. Although laced with sex, brutal murders, and other crimes and violence, this is far from a pulp novel. Puzo tells a complicated story about the relationships among the Corleones and their interactions with the outside world. VERDICT Actor Joe Mantegna provides a fine reading, even though his version of Vito's voice sometimes sounds like a bad Marlon Brando imitation (although they are so connected, it's probably impossible not to inflect Brando when channeling Vito). Recommended for all those who appreciate thrillers with social commentary and psychological insights. Devotees of the film also will find more character development and plotting.-I. Pour-El, Des Moines Area Community Coll., Boone, IA (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.