SCORPION'S GATE

In 2010 in the Middle East events taking place may lead to another war. Clarke's novel draws heavily on his experience as government counterterrorism chief and is a thinly disguised account of the actual events preceding the war in Iraq. The challenge facing the narrator is to recount a complex story with a myriad of characters from many countries so that the listener can follow the action. Robertson Dean's deep voice is pleasant to listen to, and he is successful at modulating it to fit the dialogue and descriptions. Unfortunately, his accents are weak and inconsistent. Those problems and the minimal differentiation in voices result in a story that is impossible to follow. S.S.R. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/ MAY 06]