ISTHMUS

Unlike similar stories about Central American politics, ISTHMUS focuses not upon "locals," but upon two Jewish brothers, one a Nicaraguan officer, the other an officer with Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agency. Despite their geographic and political divide, the brothers reunite just as their political plan, based on a nineteenth-century blueprint, comes to fruition. Charlie O'Dowd's narration plays a major role in making the story move so briskly. His ability to switch between characters, virtually in mid-sentence, allows the listener to focus on the book's sometimes convoluted plot, and not on the characters, who seem, for the most part, to be drawn from stereotypes. D.J.S. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 02]