PHANTOM PREY

Throughout this production it's clear that it's going to take a miracle to pull together all the unraveled strands of this eighteenth thriller featuring Lucas Davenport, the Minneapolis super-cop. Happily, Richard Ferrone manages to pull one off. In a strong, clear voice, Lucas explores the eerie world of Goth culture as he looks for the serial killer of young Goths. Sandford's minor characters are indeed minor, and Ferrone can't do much with them, including Lucas's wife, Weather. But he propels Lucas to the solution to the crimes, which, unfortunately, becomes clear long before the climax. While not Sandford's best, this is worth a listen--and it has a socko last line. M.T.B. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2008]