STALKING SUSAN

If a book ever called out to be turned into a movie, it's this one. Bernadette Dunne excels as the narrator of this engaging novel about a television reporter who investigates a series of murders of women named Susan, which take place every year on a specific day. Dunne's faithful performance captures the back-stabbing intrigue of the newsroom, the political wrangling of police and politicians in a major city, and a love of dogs. She makes listeners want to know these people, some of them anyway, with an energetic performance that just sucks you in. When she lends voice to male roles, she does it so subtly the listener will scarcely remember the gender difference. And it's great that the ending is a shocker. M.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2009]