SERPENT'S TOOTH

Detective Peter Decker flashes back to Vietnam upon entering the scene of a mass murder in an upscale L.A. restaurant. Jay O. Sanders conveys not only Peter's very human discomfort, but that of his queasy staff. Sanders's slight changes in intonation clearly differentiate the many speakers involved in the investigation. He believably portrays Rhonda, a whining ex-girlfriend, as well as Decker's patient, loving wife, Rina. Adolescents--Decker's sons and the high-schoolers possibly involved in murder--are equally credible. In a deft abridgment, Sanders holds the listener captive to the finish. R.N. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB 98]