IN THE NIGHT ROOM

Dead people send emails, and, with the help of his own fictional character, writer Timothy Underhill must decipher their meaning and vindicate a long-dead child molester he has castigated in fiction. Using his trademark vocal signature, Scott Brick makes everyone in Straub's novel sound Brooklyn born, at least when they ask questions. As it happens, many of the living (and the dead) hail from Illinois. But Brick's youthful enthusiasm keeps up with the plot, even when it makes no sense. In the performance highlight of the work, his portrayal of the bedroom scenes between the two protagonists conveys a delicious sense of confused eroticism when the gay writer is swept away by his beautiful female companion. R.L.L. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE/JULY 05]