THE FINAL COUNTRY

Polished and professional, Barrett Whitener's easy-listening, throaty voice is the perfect match for Crumley's hard-boiled, middle-aged private eye, Milo Milodragovitch. Whitener reads what can easily be described as "Texas noir" quickly without hurrying, grabbing and holding the listener's attention even when the story's action lags. Milo, who is from Montana, doesn't have a Texas drawl yet, but his enigmatic girlfriend, Betty, and the tough law officers and criminals definitely do; Whitener's cadence easily switches to distinguish the many well-drawn characters. Intricately plotted, the clear, concise depiction of Milo as hunter and hunted by Crumley and Whitener is the highlight of this dope-, sex-, and boozed-filled adventure. S.C.A. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 02]