THE CAT WHO WENT BANANAS

For listeners who enjoy hearing George Guidall read a book, this latest in the "Cat Who" mystery series is a pleasure. He distinguishes the characters with his characteristic panache in this mystery from Moose County, "400 miles north of everywhere." His voice has just the hint of gravel one would expect to find in a backcountry storyteller. But to fans of mystery, this might be a title to avoid. The author sets up the premise effectively; a slick newcomer with a shady past arrives in town just as a new bookstore opens and a valuable rare book disappears. But Braun ends the story abruptly, wrapping things up in a providential coincidence, with no identity of the guilty party or motivation for the crime given. Listen to this book for the narrator, not the story. R.C.G. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE/JULY 05]