Saturday, April 20, 2013

CALCULATED IN DEATH by J. D. Robb Audio Edition






Named 2010 Best Voice in Mystery & Suspense Susan Ericksen has been a standout at narrating the works of three outstanding authors in that genre - Sara Peretsky, J. D. Robb and Meg Gardiner.  Let’s talk about Robb - Ericksen seems to become the characters in Robb’s 37th Eve Dallas mystery.  Ericksen has a love and appreciation for words and praises authors who share this feeling by saying, “"Nothing is more pleasurable than when you know that an author has an ear--that they hear the words, not just write them. As a narrator, you can tell the difference. It's so smooth and lyrical and effortless.”

Such is certainly the case with her narration of Calculated In Death - some of the most pleasurable listening to be found.  This time out Eve Dallas and her partner, Detective Delia Peabody, are looking into the death of an accountant, one Marta Dickenson.  She was found at the bottom of a stairwell in an apartment being rehabilitated by a financial consultant group.  Marta’s neck is broken, her coat and earrings are missing.  Could it have been a random mugging?  Eve and Delia don’t think so as the victim’s very expensive footwear was left behind.

Ah, perfect grist for Robb’s inimitable writing mill!  Marta had been retained as an accountant but her briefcase holding files she’d been auditing is missing.  This leaves an intriguing array of potential suspects - everyone from a woman dependent on a trust fund to a decorator and more.  All of them are wealthy and not one of them wants to be audited, but who doesn’t want it bad enough to kill?

With her usual crisp writing and clever plot development Robb delivers another winner - enjoy!

- Gail Cooke

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