MEET ME IN VENICE

Featuring an international and interfamilial jewel heist, Adler's novel pulls at various plot strands simultaneously. Although the adventures of the main character, who is Chinese, are compelling and are told with passion by narrator Carrington MacDuffie, the other story line, set in Paris and composed of lackluster exposition, comes across as flat. The wrangle over an ancient pearl necklace is most interesting when MacDuffie infuses suspense between an antique collector and her scheming assistant, a jewel thief. The rest of the scenes drag, partly because the plot buildup takes considerable time and the slow pace of the action slows down the narration, leaving the listener hoping for a return to the more exciting sections. M.R. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/ MAY 08]