Margin of Error

June 30, 1997
To another fine mix of murder and South Florida atmosphere, Buchanan adds a dash of romance as tough-as-nails Miami crime reporter Britt Montero (Acts of Betrayal, etc.) goes gaga for a Hollywood hunk. When superstar Lance Westfell arrives in Miami to play a reporter in his new movie, he tags along with Britt (her boss's orders) to learn about the job. Resentful at first, Britt soon succumbs to Lance's legendary charm. She also learns the nasty downside of stardom, for Lance is being stalked by a delusional fan named Stephanie. Despite the best efforts of Britt, Lance and Niko, the actor's bodyguard, Stephanie always tracks them down and wreaks creative havoc on anyone in her way. Stephanie's viciousness sets Lance's movie far behind schedule and overbudget. And then deadly disasters start plaguing the set. Britt, meanwhile, narrowly escapes death in a drive-by shooting aimed at a mother charged with child abuse. Buchanan's Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter's eye doesn't miss much in Miami. She knows its poshest precincts, its poorest projects and the troubles lurking in both. She also knows how to reveal the vulnerable heart beating within Britt's tough exterior. Audio rights to Brilliance.

Britt Montero, crime reporter, has a new assignment: showing superstar Lance Westfell the news business for his upcoming movie role. Reluctant at first, she later finds herself caught up in his world and problems, not the least of which is a psychotic female stalker. Britt guides her protégé from murders to con games while their own lives become threatened. While Barbara Caruso reads superbly with an elegant diction, one develops a disturbing feeling that perhaps hers is not quite the right voice for Buchanan's gritty language or Miami's seamy milieu. In the long run, however, acting abilities win out as the tensely unfolding plot and intelligent reading absorb the listener's attention. S.B.S. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine