FIGURE OF EIGHT

Onetime Olympic skater Ellen Cusack is being stalked by a mystery man. Her agent persuades her to hire Pete Golding, an overzealous P.I., who eventually uncovers the stalker (maybe), the identity of a long dead body unearthed in Ellen's yard, and chicanery at a local fertility clinic. There are enough plot twists to keep one listening, and Schirner does well with some characters. However, the narrative parts are read in a monotone, making Golding's inner thoughts unexciting and his feelings for Ellen unconvincing. Ellen herself remains out of focus, with a barely detectable Russian accent and conflicted feelings. In the end, this stilted reading shows an absence of warmth. J.B.G. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/NOV 00]