FIRE SALE

Sandra Burr lends credible Hispanic and British accents to the characters V.I. Warshawski encounters as she investigates a factory fire. Burr's characterizations are true to the author's direction; discount store heir-apparent Billy the Kid sounds even younger than his years, and the disapproving grunts emitted by Billy's grandfather are amusingly believable. As V.I. and other characters face exhaustion, fear, and illness, Burr adapts her reading to vocalize weakness, terror, and pain. Her pace is in step with the harrowing moments in which V.I. confronts a surprising killer. The only weakness is that the large cast of characters is a bit difficult for listeners to differentiate. J.J.B. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 05/ JAN 06]