Black Notice

Listening to Cornwell's latest is like being in the middle of a family crisis--Virginia Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta is grieving over the death of her lover, veteran cop Marino is fighting with a witchy new boss, and niece Lucy faces yet another career snafu. Amid the fever pitch of emotion lies an international murder mystery involving--honest--a werewolf. Kate Reading portrays the professional Scarpetta as smart, energetic, uncompromising. But the raw and vulnerable Kay is too soft around the edges, "mushy" even. The polarity is a bit extreme. But Reading's Marino, a verbal bull in a china shop who's just begging to be fired, expresses all his endearing pugnacity. E.K.D. (c) AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Maxwell maintains the high-pitched emotionality of Cornwell's latest. Characters as strong as these could handle more sharply drawn vocal presentation. Still, the strength of the story carries listeners along. R.F.W. (c) AudioFile, Portland, Maine