THE UNQUIET

George Guidall narrates the story of Charlie Parker, P.I., who is hired by a young woman being stalked by ex-con Frank Merrick. Parker digs through the layers of the story to reveal decades-old patterns of child abuse. The dark themes are balanced with lyrical descriptions as Guidall makes the text sing. He portrays a hard-boiled detective whose character expands as Parker becomes compassionate towards the unlikable contract killer as they forge a delicate bond because they both have missing children. Guidall helps listeners appreciate Parker's cleverness in both sleuthing and wordplay. He also delivers a striking portrait of Maine--beautiful in its wildness and ugly in an undercurrent of seething feelings provoked by an influx of monied tourists. S.W. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 07]