UNNATURAL EXPOSURE

The eighth Kay Scarpetta adventure combines mystery, the Internet and a potential epidemic from a fatal virus. Scarpetta believes a recently discovered body is the handiwork of a serial killer, but when the autopsy reveals that the victim may have been exposed to smallpox, she fears that a more sinister plot is at work. Kate Reading does a wonderful job portraying Scarpetta, especially in expressing her innermost thoughts and fears. The listener feels Scarpetta's pain, anguish and anxiety as she follows the killer's trail while worrying about her exposure to the virus. Slight inflections help Reading differentiate most of the characters; she saves her best work for creating a distinct Marino and interpreting the unique accent of the inhabitants of an isolated island off the Virginia coast. The audio has all the suspense and emotional interactions that Scarpetta fans have become accustomed to. M.H.S. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB 98]