PRIEST

Gerry O'Brien lends a wonderful Irish lilt to the characters in this novel, which uses unfamiliar words like "hurley" (which I had to Google). The writing and the performing, as well as the Galway locations, will make you feel like you're slipping into a foreign culture. O'Brien performs with such tension that he makes the book feel personal. The subject matter is sensitive: A pedophile priest is murdered, and a tortured ex-cop named Jack Taylor is asked to find the killer. Even though Taylor can't forgive the priest and others for their sins, he's driven to solve the crime, no matter whom it hurts. There are no easy answers in this one, but what a ride. M.S. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2008]