Murder in the Rough: Original Tales of Bad Shots, Terrible Lies, and Other Deadly Handicaps from Today's Great Writers

Jeffrey Cummings brings a contagious energy to his narration of these 15 tales of murder, suspense, and other acts of criminality all set, in one way or other, in the world of golf. Anthologist Penzler has gathered a sharp who's who collection of authors, everyone from old pros like Lawrence Block and H.R.F. Keating to such younger players as Steve Hamilton and Laura Lippman. Cummings tackles each story with a genuine enthusiasm. His reading of Block's perfectly understated "Welcome to the Real World" packs a real punch in its last unexpected line. With a discerning delivery, Cumming embraces each story on its own merit, adapting pace, tone and characters to the needs of the tale being told. Some of his readings are better than others, just as the stories themselves vary in quality, but for the most part he hits the mark more often than not. Standouts are Laura Lippman's "A Good **** Spoiled," William G. Tapply's "Unplayable Lies," and Bradford Morrow's creepy "The Hoarder." Whether the listener is a golf fan or crime story fan, there is something for everyone. A Mysterious Press paperback. (Dec.)