DEATH WALKED IN

The reliable Kate Reading does her best with this material, giving the characters warmth and believability. It's the characters themselves who don't engage in this latest in the series about mystery bookstore owner and part-time sleuth Annie Darling of South Carolina. This time the mystery comes right to her when she discovers a gunshot victim and learns that rare coins from a recent burglary have been hidden in her home. The subsequent arrest of the victim's son galvanizes Annie and her husband to start their own investigation. While Reading's delivery is exemplary, this story is too often bogged down by characters and a plot that don't meet the mark. D.G. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2008]