The Killing Hour.

Lisa Garder. 2003. Read by Claudia Christian. Abridged. 3 tapes. 5 hrs. Random House Audio. 0-7393-0343-0. $25.00. Plastic, author, reader, plot notes. A

Veteran FBI agent teams up with a rookie FBI agent to find the "Eco-Killer," so named because he leaves his victims in desolate, ravaged areas. The first dead body is actually a map that leads to the second victim, who just could be alive if the searchers could get there in time. The author is a masterful suspense writer who teases, letting the listener know from time to time where the victim is and her desperate attempts to save herself. The clock is ticking, the girl is still alive and the listener knows where she is, but the FBI is slowly, painstakingly combing huge amounts of land.

The reader is a professional actor and singer who portrays each character with a unique voice. The killer's chant of "clock ticking.... heat kills" is done consistently and with the right psychotic inflection each and every time. The victim's voice is weak and desperate. The reader has a deep, throaty, alluring voice that pulls the listener into the story even when the details are almost too harsh. Sherri F. Ginsberg, Libn., SE Lerner School, Durham, NC