SEA CHANGE

Race Week in Paradise, Massachusetts, brings Police Chief Jesse Stone more than the usual problems of bar fights and rowdy revelers when the body of a young woman washes ashore. Scott Sowers clips the flat Boston accents to portray the deputies and townsfolk--not overdone, but spot-on when he uses them. Sowers nicely captures the no-nonsense Stone-- former LA detective, now small-town sheriff. The smart dialogue is delivered in an almost syncopated style, making the best of Parker's "he said/ she said" conventions. Stone's perseverance in tracking a ring of sex peddlers and predators keeps the story intriguing, and his conquest of some personal demons bodes well for future entries in the series. R.F.W. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/ JUL 06]