HAUNTED GROUND

Just as Hart evokes an authentic Irish ambience in this debut gothic suspense set in Galway, Jennifer McMahon uses a variety of accents to enhance the listener's visit to the British Isles. Cutting turf in Drumcleggan Bog, farmers discover a severed head. Irish archaeologist Cormac Maguire and American anatomist Nora Gavin are called in to investigate. Their investigation leads to connections between ancient and contemporary puzzles featuring the music, architecture, folklore, and history of Ireland. McMahon's female voices are lilting, low, and sensual, but she strains to produce acceptable masculine sounding characters. Nonetheless, a well-modulated and clear reading, with pacing modulations to enhance the suspense and drama, results in a pleasing experience. S.C.A. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 03/JAN 04]