HOCUS

Eliza Foss pours empathy into Burke's depiction of the horror and fear that are experienced by family members when a loved one is kidnapped. After California newspaper reporter Irene Kelly's husband, Detective Frank Harriman, arrests the leader of a murderous terrorist group called Hocus, Frank is taken hostage. Hostage negotiator Thomas Cassidy and Irene must discover the identity of a "tall, white-haired cop" who assisted in killing the fathers of two Hocus leaders. Foss finds strong, unique voices for the characters in this thriller, amplifying the tension in Burke's realistic dialogue and adding drama and suspense to the unfolding events. S.C.A. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2009]