THE FINAL JUDGMENT

Family relationships form the undercurrent of the latest crime story from North. The abridgment leaves in unnecessary romance while condensing important information that leads to the climax. Reader Lisa Banes has a good, theatrical voice, but her characterizations aren't distinctive and it's often difficult to determine which character is speaking. Ken Howard, who read the previous four North bestsellers, is more successful. Generally speaking, North's books lose much of their stories when condensed into three hours. S.I.R. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 96]