THE HARLEM CHARADE

Narrator Bahni Turpin provides complex portraits of this audiobook’s three heroes, the way their lives intersect, and the engaging mystery that unites them. Observant, curious Jin is a Korean-American who was orphaned early in life and raised by strict elderly gandparents. Jin is intrigued by prickly Alexandra, who appears to be poor—but Jin sees that she funds good deeds for those in need. A school project about the past of their Harlem community brings the two together. Soon they meet Elvin, a boy who seems homeless. Turpin excels at accents and emotions and at revealing obscured truths about the main characters. She ensures that listeners comprehend the story’s historical figures and quick-paced, suspenseful events. Turpin shows her gifts as she brings together diverse plots, characterizations, and themes. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2017]