BARBADOS HEAT

Congressman Shapply, once an unscrupulous music industry CEO, now a crusader for cleaning up the lyrics of rap music, is brutally murdered. When the Congressman's stepson is charged with the murder, his boyhood best friend, Mick Sever, reluctantly agrees to help with the investigation. Don Bruns spins an intriguing story filled with violence and nonstop action. As a reader, however, he sounds like he's always about to run out of breath. While his tone is pleasant and his energy high, the story's subtleties, handled so well in print, are lost in the narration. Next time, Blackstone, producer of so many top-notch audiobooks, should recommend that Bruns avail himself of a professional narrator. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 05]