PUT ON BY CUNNING

This entry in Rendell's Inspector Wexford mystery series is probably better known to U.S. readers as DEATH NOTES. The apparent drowning death of Sir Manuel Carmarque, renowned flautist, draws Wexford and Burden, his assistant, into an investigation that will ultimately bring the detective to California and the south of France. Charles Kay reads in a pleasant, slightly rough voice well suited to the material. His range of accents, as well as his women's voices, is impressive. His renditions of American accents aren't perfect, but neither are they annoying. And while the mystery does meander a bit, and one does wonder whether a real police detective would really go to California on holiday primarily to continue an investigation, Kay's steady and skillful performance keeps one listening. M.A.M. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 02]