THE SACRED ART OF STEALING

Ah, where but in Scotland? Wisecracking his way to revenge through grand theft, a brainy bank thief finds romance with the daredevil policewoman sworn to apprehend him. How could she resist the charm of his MO, involving as it does clowns with the names of surrealist and Dadaist artists. And how could he resist her impenetrable Scottish accent, which with the heavy doses of Scots slang makes a third of the book unintelligible? After an extended prologue served up by gravel-voiced Lesley Mackie, Terry Wale takes over with a fine appreciation of the book's humor and irony. If only she had more skill in playing them! She is strident and often impossible for American ears to understand. Y.R. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 05]