Vegas Nerve

In this installment of Cooper's Milt Kovak series, the Oklahoma sheriff visits Las Vegas, where he finds himself entangled in a murder investigation. Milt's cousin by marriage, Burl, has been arrested for beating up his son-in-law. After Milt bails him out of jail, Burl disappears, and the son-in-law is found murdered. Narrator Tom Stechschutle offers a powerful performance that enlivens Cooper's novel, especially in his portrayal of Burl's five bickering sons, whose efforts to help actually impede Milt's investigation. Stechschulte speaks with a regional accent that is as gritty and hard-nosed as the state of Oklahoma. With slight shifts in tone, he creates spot-on characters--at once friendly, realistic, and altogether frightening. While the story itself leaves something to be desired, Stechschutle's narration makes listening to it downright fun. L.B. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine