FALLING MORE SLOWLY

At times hilarious and at times plodding, Helton’s police procedural always manages to entertain. Detective Inspector Liam McLusky is an enigma. His methods are often unusual, and his style leaves more grizzled detectives shaking their heads. But that’s why the story works. David Thorpe’s enthusiastic performance also helps, especially in the scenes that could be deemed “stand-alone entertainment.” For example, Thorpe challenges the listener not to laugh out loud at certain moments, such as when McLusky wrecks a police car at the start of the book. Thorpe's wry, almost sarcastic, tone extracts every emotion from McLusky and the other officers, many of whom do not appreciate McLusky’s methods. D.J.S. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2011]