IN A STRANGE CITY

Every year, on January 19th, in Baltimore, a mysterious person visits the grave of Edgar Allan Poe, leaving cognac and roses. This year Private Eye Tess Monaghan is present, along with her boyfriend, Crow, and they hear the gunshot that kills the mysterious visitor, or does it? With much detail and digression, the story unfolds as Tess and the police seek to capture the killer before he kills again. Laurence Bouvard characterizes Tess with an even, careless lilt but portrays men with squeaky, cartoonish voices. The tinny sound and continually changing volume also detract from the mystery. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 03]