KIDNAPPING OF CHRISTINA LATTIMORE

Julie Dretzin, a native New Yorker, takes on a Texas twang to give voice to Nixon's Dallas-born protagonist, Christina Lattimore. The granddaughter of a business tycoon, Christina is kidnapped for ransom, but when she escapes, the police turn on her as a suspect. Everyone from her parents to her best friend believes Christina organized the crime so she could get money for a school trip abroad. Dretzin's voices for the cast of characters are straightforward and engaging: The kidnappers have sharp drawls, the tycoon grandmother is stern and ruthless, and the preacher father has a booming voice. It doesn't matter that Dretzin's twang for Christina softens to a subtle drawl as the mystery thickens; she uses fear and tension in her voice to keep the suspense at a high pitch. M.M.O. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 02]