cover image Undone

Undone

Karin Slaughter, , read by Natalie Ross. . Brilliance, $38.99 (0pp) ISBN 978-1-4233-4230-4

Slaughter thrusts her series heroine, Dr. Sara Linton, into a serial killer case being investigated by the author's newer series protagonists, detectives Will Trent and Faith Mitchell of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Natalie Ross provides just the right vocal interpretations. For Faith, a tough cookie starting to crumble from the combined pressures of pregnancy and newly diagnosed diabetes, she shifts from harsh-voiced confrontations with balky suspects to softer, self-doubting inner monologues. Trent is given a thoughtful delivery that changes to a self-conscious croak in the presence of the lovely Dr. Linton. For the doctor, still mourning the death of her husband, Ross saves her most subtle characterization, bravery undercut by an unshakable sadness. Though very much a character-driven novel, there's no shortage of plot, and there, too, Ross handles the chills and thrills with appropriate pacing and drama. A Delacorte hardcover (Reviews, June 1). (July)