HARD EIGHT

Stephanie Plum's life as a New Jersey bounty hunter could easily be described as "over the top." Her family, business colleagues, and the bail jumpers she pursues are unpredictable, wacky, highly original, and often dangerous. Readers love the series for just these reasons. For the audiobook, it's surely tempting to play the characters' idiosyncrasies to the hilt, as C.J. Critt does in her performance. She knows this cast well, as she has recorded six mysteries in Evanovich's series. Every conversation and outrageous circumstance is presented full-tilt, and the style is entertaining, in small doses. However, over the course of hours of listening, it's exhausting. If she could dial back the energy just a bit, the cleverness of Evanovich's writing and the quirky characters would still shine through, and the listening experience would be better. R.F.W. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 02/ JAN 03]