WHEN THE WOMEN COME OUT TO DANCE

A gold-digger hires a Latina maid to off her rich, unpleasant husband. A down-and-out minor league pitcher goes for an unusual job interview. An insurance investigator probes a pot-smoking widow whose mansion has burned down under suspicious circumstances. These clever, perceptive, ironic short stories by the author of GET SHORTY and other crime classics boast stylistic verve and strong characterizations. Narrator Taye Diggs has a pleasant, calming sound that brings out the smoothness of the writing. He uses his considerable agility with accents to differentiate the dramatis personae, but otherwise leaves the prose to fend for itself. Others may find him subtle, but he is far too low-key for this reviewer's taste, playing so softly and limply as to miss all values but the punctuation. Y.R. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 03]