I've been addicted to mysteries ever since Nancy Drew possessed my soul at the age of ten. In the past several years, I've discovered their power on tape. Compelling plots make for stay-awake driving and suspense dispels the tedium of commuting. The range of mystery offerings on tape are huge, so I know I'm not alone in my listening enjoyment. Here are a few recent releases that have kept me on the edge of my car seat.

BDD Audio has new tapes representing three very different mystery types. For those who love an English mystery, Elizabeth George's In Pursuit of the Proper Sinner (BDD Audio, abridged, 4 Cassettes, $25.95)has all the twists and turns you expect. Reader Derek Jacobi's intonations and accents are calm, but you must hold on to your seat for the ride that begins with the slaying of two people on Calder Moor. Detective Thomas Lynley explores the death of Nicole, the daughter of a former officer who once mentored him. What and who caused this murder? Nicola's reckless life, enemies of her father, or was she merely in the wrong place at the wrong time? As Lynley and his estranged colleague, Barbara Havers, dig through more and more layers, they discover a darkness that lurks below the surface.

Sandra Brown's The Alibi (BDD, $25.95, 4 cassettes, abridged)makes use of local setting and characters for a psychological mystery. The hero, Hammond Cross, is from a fine old Charleston family, and is also the favored son of the D.A.'s office. Hammond, who prides himself on his honesty, suddenly finds himself in love for the first time with a woman who may be a murderer, and he, himself, is her alibi. Suddenly the black and white sureness of his life of integrity grays with difficult choices. Setting, psychology, and a fine reading by Dylan Baker make this an engrossing tape.

The third BDD tape is the most absorbing, and frightening. Eve Duncan is the heroine of Iris Johnson's The Killing Game (BDD, $25.00; 3 cassettes, abridged) Already haunted by her daughter's death at the hands of a serial killer, Eve has more to fear. Tension reigns as the murderer walks back into Eve's life. Now she is the game he is stalking, and he knows her every move. Eve Duncan is a fascinating female character who operates on intuition, strengthened by her strong intelligence, and caring for others. Not only are the minor characters are well-developed and intriguing, but a duality of plot deepens the story. While Eve plays the cat-and-mouse game with the killer, she's also caught in finding final acceptance of her daughter's death and letting meaningful others into her life. Becky Ann Baker does the voices well, gives the tape all the chills the story demands, and adds even more suspense to the already surprising plot shocks.

Several of my favorite mystery characters star in new tapes. All of them are read by the familiar folk who have made these sleuths more real to me in past tapes. Oddly, I found a common thread in each new release. This year, favorite mystery heroes struggle with past and present loves.

Sue Grafton's "O" Is for Outlaw (Random House, unabridged $39.95; 6 tapes) takes Kinsey Millhone back in time. While her ex-husband lies comatose, Kinsey digs for clues to discover his assassin, truths about a murder he's been accused of long ago, and her true feelings about a man she rejected when she lacked a more mature understanding. Kinsey revises her past as she stumbles into another spectacular solution. Reader Judy Kaye does great justice to sarcasm, dialogue, and witticisms of the clever detective.

James Patterson's newest Alex Cross adventure,Pop Goes the Weasel (TimeWarner Audio Books, $25.98, abridged, 4 cassettes), begins when Alex asks his love, Christine Johnson, for her hand in marriage. The tenderness Patterson describes so eloquently doesn't last long for Alex is suddenly facing Geoffrey Shafer, a violent serial killer with diplomatic immunity. Tension builds as Christine is kidnapped, and we learn that Shafer is only one of four killers playing a deadly game. The suspense, pacing, and psychological peeks at the hero and anti-hero are amped up by dual readings. Keith David's rends of the Alex Cross bits with emotion and Roger Rees' controlled British accent serves as a proper counterpoint for Schafer's coldness and cruelty.

I have to admit, I've met Anne Perry's private detective William Monk for the first time in her newest tape, The Twisted Root (Random House Audio Books, abridged, 3 cassettes, $25.00). Monk is a former police officer turned detective in Victorian England. In this latest, Monk investigates the disappearance of Miriam Gardiner, a young woman who suddenly and dramatically flees her fiance. As Monk wonders if her love went sour, he's exploring his new marriage with the wise nurse and his crime-solving helpmate, Hester Latterly. Historically-tinged themes ultimately unites these two strains. A mix of Hester's concerns about how of men injured in the Crimean War have been abandoned, the lack of respect and constraints for nurses, and the mystery of missing medicine all play into the primary plot. Characters and intrigues well-represent the period and touch on class issues as well as women's roles. Reader Simon Jones who has acted in mysteries on television, has a sense of suspense, a dramatic flair, and his elegant British accent make it easy to return to a long ago era. Story and reading made me an instant Monk fan.

Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta deals with the loss of her love, Benson, in Black Notice (Putnam Berkley Audio, unabridged, 8 cassettes, $39.95) Scarpetta, her cohort Marino, and her niece Lucy have all been working hard to forget. Kay's lost herself in work, Lucy in anger, and Marino's become all the more bellicose. After a year has passed, Kay comes to her senses and discovers her department is in turmoil, Marino's job is in jeopardy, and Lucy's a loose cannon. Into this chaos comes a terrifying killer, labeled loup-garou (Werewolf) in France where he's previously stalked and killed. Kate Reading, who's previously read unabridged versions, expresses a terrific range of emotion in capturing Lucy's fury, Marino's sarcasm and belligerence, and Kay's vacillations from tender-hearted moments to those when she again proves herself a discerning clinician and sleuth.