Die for Me

Tavia Gilbert's well-paced narration of Karen Rose's latest suspense keeps things hopping. Philadelphia homicide detective Vito Ciccotelli calls upon the expertise of archaeologist Sophie Johansen to track a sadistic sociopath who uses medieval torture devices to make his kills. When Vito and Sophie come face-to-face, it's lust-at-first-pheromone, and as the sexual tension builds, so does the suspense. Gilbert is appropriately matter-of-fact when examining the dynamics of the video game industry and when offering graphic descriptions of disemboweling, a chair of nails, and the inquisitor's rack. She's less controlled in dialogue sequences involving more than two characters, but she's terrific with children's voices, and the love scenes fairly sizzle. Rose is a master of the romantic mystery, and listeners won't be disappointed. S.J.H. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine