REMAINS SILENT

Michele Santopietro provides an up-tempo reading of this cross between "Moonlighting" and "CSI." Skeletal remains are unearthed at a mall site in Upstate New York. Police probing reveals that someone is covering up more than skeletons. As the investigation unfolds, "Manny" Manfreda, attractive, slave-to-fashion, smart-alecky trial attorney meets Jake Rosen, the handsome, intelligent, well-respected medical examiner. Predictably, their relationship turns into mutual attraction amid an action-packed, scientifically engaging plot. Santopietro goes a little overboard with Manny's wisecracking insights, and her secondary characters aren't clearly voiced, frequently sounding too high-pitched and ingenuous. Even so, her energetic narration helps keep the romance steamy and the forensics smart, witty, and fast paced. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 05/ JAN 06]