BEKA COOPER Terrier, Book 1

In the gritty fantasy underworld of Tortoll we meet 16-year-old Beka, a rookie cop in the Provost's Guard, who trains to sniff out criminals and make a name for herself, despite her debilitating shyness. Narrator Susan Denaker has an elegant, smooth voice that transforms into the guttural snarl of a rat and the homesick voice of a child's lost soul. She never shrinks from depicting the rough humor of the lower city. Denaker excels at distinguishing Pierce's many characters, including Beka's mentors, streetwise Goodwin and charming Tunstall. Best of all is the voice she creates for Beka, sometimes mutinous, often pained as Beka learns how to be brave without being foolish and how to give voice to her special knowledge about the world. J.C.G. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/ JUL 07]