ISLE OF DOGS

No Kay Scarpetta here (this is Cornwell's OTHER series), but plenty of gory details and psychotic characters with bizarre motivations are present in a story that combines black comedy and mystery. Becky Ann Baker reads this raunchy tale with a breathy mixture of foreshadowing and anticipation that leads the listener through a plot of murder and mayhem on a small island off the coast of Georgia. Character transitions are neatly done by the narrator as Andy Brazil and Judy Hammer are brought back to life from previous Cornwell novels. The Southern voices, especially those of the inept governor and his bumbling family, are realistic. The comedic lines and characters are also given their due, and the musical interludes of Southern blues add to the atmosphere. D.L.M. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 02]