THE GIRL NEXT DOOR

Duncan Avery, father and admired physician, is convicted of brutally murdering his wife. He is sentenced to prison based on circumstantial evidence. The Avery children are sent to various safe havens, separating them from scandal, from one another, and from any sense of family. When Duncan Avery is paroled 15 years later, only his daughter Nina, who believes he was wrongly convicted, welcomes him. Together the two begin to search for the real killer. More fascinating than the outcome of the predictable plot are Patricia MacDonald's psychological insights into the convoluted machinations of ordinary family life. Bernadette Dunne narrates, making each family member's situation explicit. While Dunne's reading does little to develop individual character voices, her intelligent reading of MacDonald's perceptive character studies ensures listener interest. S.J.H. (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 05]