MIRROR LAKE

In a somewhat predictable novel about romantic love, betrayal, friendship, and death, Thomas Christopher Greene tells two stories. The first centers around the life of 20-something Nathan Carter, a man running from many failed relationships, as he moves to rural Vermont. The second reveals the life story of Wallace Fiske, a crusty mid-70s Vermonter who becomes an unlikely friend to Nathan. Christopher Burns reads Greene's first novel with an aloofness that seems out of place for Nathan's character. He excels, however, at reading in Wallace's voice, providing just the right amount of abrasion and ill-temper to make the character believable and likable in spite of his flaws. Despite Burns's mediocre reading, the story itself is a decent diversion and an interesting glimpse into rural Vermont. H.L.S. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/ JUL 04]