GIRLS AND THEIR HORSES

Helen Laser makes this horse-centered drama a devilishly fun listen. The story is set in Southern California's elite world of competitive jumping. Laser's deft narration shifts between entitled teenagers and the dysfunctional adults who surround them. Laser believably employs the upspeak of California teens while wisely refraining from that cadence when voicing the main characters, Heather, an over-involved "barn mother," and her two daughters, Maple and Piper. Although the audiobook's opulent setting is over the top, the characters as voiced by Laser never come off as caricatures. Listeners will be swept into the mystery when a body is discovered in a barn stall. J.T. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2023]