SAND SHARKS

Fans of the Judge Deborah Knott will welcome the opportunity to listen to her sixteenth adventure. C.J. Critt narrates this mystery, set at a judges' convention in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. Critt gives us a tough, rather cynical Deborah, who seems largely interested in scandal and eating resort food. Deborah’s persona and voice are similar to those of the gutsy heroines who appear in Patricia Cornwall's and Janet Evanovich's mysteries, also read by Critt. They all solve crimes with aplomb and a few drinks. Author Margaret Maron does an excellent job evoking the setting of the beach resort—its moods, foods, and laid-back dudes. The two murders are less important than what might be called the judicial action. D.L.G. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2010]