BLOOD THIRSTY

Karp's second comedic police procedural is delivered by narrators Tom Stechschulte and James Jenner. Their rich, textured characterizations at first beguile the listener with gallows humor. Set in Hollywood, among the glamour of producers, agents, and wannabe actors and actresses, the story features murder and kidnapping, as well as the requisite deal-making and -breaking. The narrators' tight delivery and timing highlight Detectives Lomax and Biggs's snappy dialogue. Stechschulte and Jenner also portray the criminals and their sometimes weird--and not at all funny--perspective on death by exsanguination. Although the narration duo does an excellent job, there's not much they can do with a script that falls just short of torture and horror. Pretty strange comedy. G.D.W. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 07/ JAN 08]