Chasing The Dime.

Michael Connelly. 2002. Read by Jonathan Davis. 8 tapes. 10.5 hrs. Time Warner Audio. 1-58621-450-0. $39.98. Cardboard, plastic; plot, reader notes. SA

Not a Harry Bosch title but Connelly fans will want to try this anyway. Henry Pierce is a scientist involved with developing a breakthrough in the field of nano-technology. He has moved out of the house he shared with a woman he still loves, and into a high-rise condominium in Santa Monica, California. His new phone number once belonged to Lilly, an escort who advertises with her partner on a Web site called L. A. Darlings. Pierce becomes obsessed with finding out what has happened to this woman and does a lot of fairly stupid things that, had he been a reader of detective stories, he would not have done: e.g., breaking into the woman's house, leaving his fingerprints, and clumsily lying to the police. As it turns out, her disappearance and death have more to do with him and his company than he could ever have imagined. Davis is a good narrator with a pleasant voice, excellent timing, and a skillful ability to switch apparently effortlessly from one character to the next in a satisfying way. This unabridged version includes all the technology and business discussions. (A review of the abridged version of this title appeared in KLIATT, January 2003.) Mary I. Purucker, Beverly Hills P.L., Beverly Hills, CA