The Talk Show Murders

"Morning Show" celebrity Al Roker has teamed up with mystery writer Dick Lochte to create a series of TV-related mysteries. Billy Blessing is the hero. In this latest, Blessing, a former con man who has reinvented himself as a TV chef, encounters a former cop who is bent on blackmailing him. Soon, the erstwhile blackmailer is found dead--the first in a series of killings. Guess who's a suspect? Ironically, Roker, a TV announcer, should leave the reading of his books to someone else. One gets the impression that he's trying too hard. His accents are peculiar and overemphasized, and ultimately detract from the story. Roker ought to stick to announcing and writing--both of which he's good at--and leave the reading of his books to an audiobook narrator. A.L.H. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine