A CAT IN THE MANGER

Alice Nestleton thought she was going to cat-sit. Instead she finds two corpses and faces a deadly situation involving racehorses, cats, and high stakes. Anna Fields's relaxed reading style and moderately deep vocal tones seem suited for Alice but don't readily adjust for the other characters. She produces an acceptable older woman's voice for Joe, but the male voices are strained, and the other female voices are inconsequential. Fields keeps the pace steady, matching the emotional quality of the text to the narrative, and manages to convey the building tension to the end. The story's main lure is the enigma of the plot while Fields serves as its communicator. P.A.J. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 02]