THE DEEPEST CUT

Fans of Nan Vining will rejoice in the Pasadena detective's return in the conclusion of Emley’s trilogy. Vining is now hunting down T.B. Mann ("The Bad Mann"), a psychotic serial killer who left her for dead earlier in the series and is now engaging her in a bloody game of cat-and-mouse. Carrington MacDuffie's resonant voice enhances this crisp narrative. However, her frequently lethargic intonation slows down the story, and her proclivity for ending sentences of dialogue as questions become tedious. However, true followers of Detective Vining and Detective Jim Kissick should be able to overlook these tendencies and enjoy the novel with its nail-biting conclusion. A.R.H. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2009]