COLORADO KID

King wrote this novella for the Hard Case Crime series of noir detective fictions. King is the master of many genres, but this odd book feels more like a shaggy-dog story. It's about Stephanie McCann, rookie journalist in Moose-Lookit, Maine, and two grizzled newsmen who tell her the tale of the town's only real mystery. Narrator Jeffrey DeMunn makes a believable curmudgeon and an appealing protagonist, and while King overdoes the Yankee-isms and local color, DeMunn's Downeast accents ring true. The story shambles along but goes nowhere, and not even DeMunn's energetic performance can keep it from being a disappointment. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/ MAY 06]