Trojan Gold

Vicki Bliss, that wisecracking art historian and amateur detective, is once again in the middle of an adventure. This time she's searching for the long lost gold of Troy, while matching wits with her nemesis and lover, John Smythe. This is a sexy romp full of modern-day derring-do and deadpan humor. For those who love Kathleen Turner's distinctive whiskey voice, this reading is a winner. Turner simply becomes Bliss, with all her headlong chatter and wry commentary. Turner doesn't differentiate the other characters; instead she changes the rhythm and adds an occasional accent to her husky delivery. The result is a bit over the top, but then so are the book--so it all works. A.C.S. (c) AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine

Everyone would like to know what happened to the cache of gold that Schliemann extruded from his sacking of Troy. Protagonist Vicky Bliss takes us through Germany, the Bavarian Alps, two murders, three male suitors and four museum directors to find the treasure. Barbara Rosenblat gives each of these characters a juicy, recognizable personality. A talented actress with an excellent ear, she renders foreign accents impeccably and also delineates differences within regional dialects. Her male/female conversations are remarkable for their suggestive overtones. One may wish for more feverish pitches at the several climaxes in the story, but the tale itself is secondary to her telling. J.P. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine