HIDDEN RICHES

When she travels to an auction in Virginia, curio dealer Dora Conroy has no idea she’s purchasing smuggled art treasures. Her new tenant, Jed Schermerhorn, must protect her from thieves bent on retrieving the booty. Sandra Burr treats the characters in the story as if they were exaggerated cartoons. Dora’s sister, Lia, speaks in a voice so high as to squeak and shriek by turns. Dora’s parents, identified in the text as about 50 years old and vibrant, sound closer to 80 and demented. When Jed and Dora make steamy love in antique beds, the performance sounds like a fairy tale read to preschoolers at nap time. Only the sadistic smuggler sounds evil enough to be real. As for the rest, Roberts fans, beware of a disappointing listening experience. R.L.L. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 05]