BLOW FLY

BLOW FLY unveils Dr. Kay Scarpetta's new life after leaving her post as the State of Virginia's chief medical examiner. Carolyn McCormick's Scarpetta is believably cool and controlled; she sounds detached even though she's grieving the loss of her former life and her lover, Benton. McCormick does a good job differentiating the other characters, such as the fiery Lucy and the brusque Marino, though her Southern accents occasionally sound a bit thick. This story jumps around in location, which, especially with the abridgment, makes for a choppiness more noticeable at the end. The sound effects of spooky music and swamp noises that appear at chapter openings to provide switches in setting are useful; random helicopter sounds and gunshots that appear out of nowhere are less so. Overall, a decent production that will appeal to Cornwell's many fans. J.C.G.
(c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 04]