THE SUMMONS

Before embarking on this latest Grisham novel, which revolves around a troubled father-son relationship, you should first ask yourself about your tolerance for Southern accents--not only the lilting, aristocratic Virginia version, but the voluptuous, molasses-dripped Mississippi variety. (Think "Saturday Night Live" renditions of a certain former president from Arkansas.) Michael Beck's reading is enjoyable, even as it threatens to overwhelm this story, which concerns law professor Ray Atlee's discovery of $3 million in mystery cash in his boyhood home after the death of his autocratic father, Judge Atlee. Strong as Beck's accents are, they fit the characters and ultimately bring them further to life. M.O. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 02]