THE CALLING

Police Detective Inspector Hazel Micallef, of Port Dundas, Ontario, is obsessed with finding a serial killer whose "calling" takes him across Canada. The psychopath, Simon, promises relief to his "clients," who are suffering from painful terminal illnesses, via his extensive knowledge of herbal medicines, both curative and deadly. What might seem to be mercy killings takes on another dimension because of Simon's horrific postmortem staging of the bodies. Bernadette Dunne's performance gives each character a spirited identity. With only slight vocal shifts, she creates credible characters--from Hazel herself, who doses her back pain with alcohol and painkillers, to Simon's willing, if misguided, victims. This promises to be the first in an exciting series by Inger Ash Wolfe, the pseudonym of Russell Smith, a well-known Canadian literary figure. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2008]