BLINDMAN'S BLUFF

The Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus series has enjoyed a successful life in audiobooks with numerous narrators—both men and women. BLUFF is the 18th of Kellerman's popular stories about the LAPD detective Decker, which often contrast Orthodox Jewish culture with the violence of police work. Kellerman's latest, about the puzzling homicides of members of the mega-rich Kaffey family, receives total injustice from narrator Mitchell Greenberg. He misreads both main characters—making Rina sound like a ditzy housewife and Decker like a mild-mannered cop. Minor characters are overplayed, often with stereotypical accents that may make listeners cringe. Kellerman's intriguing plotting and the challenge of a good mystery might make it worth staying through this unfortunate performance, but most will want to read this in print. R.F.W. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2009]