THE BUZZARD TABLE Deborah Knott, Book 18

Judge Deborah Knott fans need not be alarmed that this mystery opens far from her central North Carolina home. Eventually, the terrorist and murder plots unravel in familiar Colleton County. It's disappointing that narrator C.J. Critt doesn't depict Deborah with a Southern accent, nor does the tone she uses for Deborah's husband, Deputy Sheriff Dwight Bryant, ring true. Critt redeems herself, however, with winning vocalizations of some of the minor characters. Her reading is strong enough to carry the listener through as Deborah and Dwight piece together clues to solve two murders, one attempted killing, suspicious flights at the local airport, and the question of how buzzards play into the mayhem. In a nice touch, Maron introduces each chapter with trivia from the Turkey Vulture Society. J.J.B. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2013]