BLACK WATER

Both Parker's mystery and Vigesaa's narration leave the same impression, which is very little. Nothing is terribly wrong with either; it's just that the whole affair doesn't really register. Once again Parker follows Orange County Detective Merci Rayborn as she delves into what appears to be a sheriff's murder of his beautiful wife and his attempted suicide. One problem for newcomers to the Rayborn series is that Parker seems to assume readers are up to date on her story, which only confuses the uninitiated. A worse problem is how sluggishly the story moves. Though Vigesaa is a competent reader, there's not enough energy in the plot or characters for her to truly resonate. M.O. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 02]