DOG ISLAND

When 15-year-old Carli Monroe accidentally sees a murder on St. George Island in Florida, her life is turned upside down, as are the lives of Susan Fitzsimmons and her friend and lawyer, Tom McInnes. McInnes seeks answers, along with his investigator, Joey, and a host of others, while they alternately run from and chase after the villains. Arte Johnson's narration makes these Southerners sound like wise-guy New Yorkers. Cubans have Spanish accents, and the others sound alike. While the rhythm of the narration is even and keeps the listener interested in both the humor and the violence, Johnson has a habit of hesitating before emotional dialogue--although the listener gets used to it. Aside from some extremely graphic murder scenes on Tape 5, Stewart and Johnson keep the listener entranced. M.B.K. (c) AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC/ JAN 02]