THE BEAST Decker/Lazarus, Book 21

Mitchell Greenberg provides listeners with a relentlessly upbeat narration of Kellerman's latest police procedural. The story concerns the murder of an elderly wealthy recluse who keeps adjoining apartments filled with exotic and deadly wildlife. It's not an upbeat plot, but that's the way Greenberg plays it. His pacing is moderate, his diction is professional, and he uses tone well to navigate the conflict in the victim's family and distinguish characters. However, his overall upbeat approach clashes with sometimes horrific scenes. There's some banter among the cops--and that's where his approach fits well. But overall, this is a mismatch. D.R.W. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2013]