Review: The Mediator (2) High Stakes by Meg Cabot

The Mediator (2): High Stakes by Meg Cabot and narrated by Johanna Parker (April 2008, Whole Story Audio Books, ISBN: 9781407479187)

First Line:
Nobody told me about the poison oak.

Notes: High Stakes is the second in the six-book Mediator series and was first published in 2001 as The Mediator: Ninth Key by Jenny Carroll.

Review: High Stakes carries almost straight on from Love You to Death. Our heroine, mediator Suze Simon, has another ghost to assist to "the other side". A woman has been screaming at Suze at night, demanding that Suze passes on a message to "Red". Suze doesn't get much information so she asks around as to who Red might be. She's pointed towards a wealthy, property developer - Mr Beaumont - who just happens to be the father of the gorgeous Tad, who Suze danced with at a pool party the other night.

Suze not only gets deep into trouble with the Beaumonts, but she also has her ghostly father's advice to ignore, the 'hot' ghost living in her bedroom to keep secret and a verbal sparring match with one of her new step-brothers to win.

High Stakes is darker than Love You to Death as Suze not only dishes out a few punches but receives a few herself and her life is more seriously in danger than in the first book. Though her mum seems to accept that Suze is a normal girl, I wonder how much she knows... I raced through this audio book but, as with most series, it's probably best to have a bit of a break between entries as there's quite a bit of recapping, repeated information and even the same phrases are used from time to time.

As before, Johanna Parker's narration is enjoyable to listen to and her voices are consistent with those she used in Love You to Death.

Cover: An interesting cover - I don't remember many skyscrapers (if that's what they are) ...