PAST MORTEM

Elton presents a strong fictional portrait of how much the same--and different--life is for people who were mercilessly bullied as children. At the center of the story is Detective Ed Newson, who goes to his seventeenth-year class reunion. Almost every character is enhanced by narrator Glen McCready as the story moves from one emotional situation to the next. The production feels like the listener is hearing an expertly acted play. A highlight is a sex scene that is hilarious, perhaps funnier to hear than to see. As the body count increases, Detective Newson's challenges mount, but he remains humane and focused. This contemporary mystery is a bittersweet story that offers outstanding writing and narration. S.G.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/ JUL 06]