Biography & Memoir To Category List

MILES The Autobiography
Miles Davis, Quincy Troupe, Read by Dion Graham • Unabridged • JANUARY 2011
AudioGO • Library Ed.

Narrator Dion Graham mimics the raspy, gravelly voice of jazz great Miles Davis to perfection. Covering every aspect of Davis’s tumultuous life, Graham, at times, adds a light chuckle or a low growl to the story—especially as he leads the way through the murky and painful episodes. Most fascinating are the connections between Davis’s relationships and the development of his musical styles over the years. Listeners may find some of the incidents shocking and profane, but this epic story of one of the world's greatest musicians intrigues and engrosses from first page to last, greatly aided by the sure talents of Graham. R.O. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

THE OBAMAS
Jodi Kantor, Read by Robin Miles • Unabridged • JANUARY 2011
Hachette Audio • Trade Ed.

Kantor, a NEW YORK TIMES Washington correspondent, offers a prolonged peek behind the curtain at the evolving role of the Obama marriage as a driver of White House East and West Wing sensibility. With just enough gossip to be a guilty pleasure, the reportage is peppered with strong support of liberal ideals. Robin Miles provides an unfailingly sensitive, formal, and academic approach to her narration. She is skillful, graceful, and intelligent in turning matters into an urgent story requiring one’s rapt attention. Obama supporters and detractors alike will learn much about the First Couple’s partnership and the presidency, despite the principals’ having declined to be interviewed for the work. W.A.G. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine




Business & Finance To Category List

PUT YOUR MINDSET TO WORK The One Asset You Really Need to Win and Keep the Job You Love
James Reed, Paul G. Stoltz, Read by Paul Costanzo • Unabridged • JANUARY 2011
Tantor Media • Trade Ed.
Tantor Media • Library Ed.

To take advantage of advancement opportunities and improve job security, you need more than job skills. Using survey responses from 800 companies, two experts on career success say employers pay more attention to a candidate’s mindset—a variety of mental traits the authors group into three categories: global mindset (seeing the big picture), good mindset (unwavering focus on the greatest good for all), and grit mindset (tenacity and resilience during adverse times). Narrating with impeccable skill in a rich baritone, Paul Costanzo relaxes the buttoned-down, prescriptive aspects of the production. Though these features make the work seem academic, even byzantine, the advice is solid, and Costanzo’s approach creates an accessible learning experience. T.W. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine




Children To Category List

THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN The Secret of the Unicorn
Stephanie Peters, Alex Irvine, Read by Nick Sullivan • Unabridged • JANUARY 2011
Hachette Audio • Digital Download
AudioGO • Library Ed.

Nick Sullivan’s narration begins with a neutral-voiced, straightforward description of Tintin, “a young reporter with a nose for news.” Soon Sullivan launches into dramatic characterizations, beginning with Tintin’s light British accent and his deep enthusiasm for the Unicorn, a three-masted model ship he buys. Almost immediately villain Ivan Ivanovitch Sakharine enters, his evil tones affecting just the right sinister sound as he tries to bully Tintin into selling the Unicorn without success. This speedy entry sets the quick pace of nonstop adventures—a mysterious scroll slips from the ship’s mast; Tintin is kidnapped and finds himself traveling aboard a sailing ship. Sullivan’s portrayals of the story’s larger-than-life characters take listeners to exotic lands, where treasure and surprises await around every corner. S.W. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

THE BRIDGE TO NEVER LAND
Dave Barry, Ridley Pearson, Read by MacLeod Andrews • Unabridged • JANUARY 2011
Brilliance Audio • Trade Ed.
Brilliance Audio • Library Ed.

MacLeod Andrews’s narrative voice is soft and almost hypnotic at times as two teens discover that the stories in their classic Starcatchers books aren’t stories at all—they’re real. Andrews’s tone provides periodic breaks from dialogue that oscillates between excitement and anxiety as teen siblings Aidan and Sarah follow clues they find in a secret compartment. Modern technology influences their journey in interesting ways as they try to escape an amorphous evil. As their wild flight eventually lands Sarah in Peter Pan’s Never Land, Andrews rises to the challenge of re-creating well-known characters like Captain Hook, giving them recognizable voices while still delivering fresh performances. He fully develops every voice; even characters with the smallest appearance make an impression. A.M.P. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

TRUE (. . . SORT OF)
Katherine Hannigan, Read by Danielle Ferland • Unabridged • JANUARY 2011
Harper Audio • Digital Download
Recorded Books • Library Ed.

Danielle Ferland reads Hannigan’s debut novel in a sweet voice with gravelly undertones. Her style matches the bittersweet aspects of the story perfectly and highlights its contrasting elements. Eleven-year-old Delly has a long history of causing trouble, and just about the whole town has had enough. For listeners, Delly’s troubles and her stories of freeing chickens and stealing brownies are highly entertaining. But under threat of expulsion from school, Delly tries to reform herself and in the process befriends a strange new girl. Ferris doesn’t speak and doesn’t like to be touched. Ferland’s pacing and pitch are as lively as the story and she switches from comedy to heartbreak with perfection as Delly discovers what’s behind Ferris’s silence. A.M.P. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine




Classics To Category List

HARD TIMES
Charles Dickens, Read by Anton Lesser • Unabridged • JANUARY 2011
Naxos AudioBooks • Trade Ed.

Anton Lesser finds the emotive force behind Dickens’s bleak social commentary, HARD TIMES, and gives it a unique reading. Dickens’s stock characters are fleshed out by Lesser’s quavering voice and given outward emotions, making these Victorian-era personas more accessible to contemporary listeners. Atypical for a Dickens story, HARD TIMES lacks any comic relief and reads like a case study of the industrial and utilitarian culture and how the inhabitants of a town built around those ideals are beaten down by it. By reading with a voice more suited to a period romance, Lesser places the emphasis on the feelings of the characters, effectively softening the edges of HARD TIMES. F.T. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

THE MILL ON THE FLOSS
George Eliot, Read by Eileen Atkins • Unabridged • JANUARY 2011
AudioGO • Trade Ed.
AudioGO • Library Ed.

Eileen Atkins’s terrific depiction of the inner struggles of Maggie and Tom Tulliver will leave listeners awed at their stubbornness. Maggie is a cranky child who loves books and her brother but hates having her hair done and sitting still; Tom is sent to school to learn Latin and other esoteric subjects even though he’s only good at physical games. Atkins creates multiple distinct character voices ranging from the upper-class Philip to the hilarious Bob Jakin. Interspersed with the drama, there are lighter moments, and for those Atkins employs a deft touch. The aunts are particularly amusing, especially Aunt Glegg, who believes Mrs. Tulliver married beneath her but that Tom may have inherited some of the Dodson spirit. You can hear Aunt Glegg’s nose in the air. A.B. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine




Contemporary Culture To Category List

THE BETTER ANGELS OF OUR NATURE Why Violence Has Declined
Steven Pinker, Read by Arthur Morey • Unabridged • JANUARY 2011
Brilliance Audio • Trade Ed.
Brilliance Audio • Library Ed.

Steven Pinker’s exploration of what he argues is a decrease in human violence over the ages is long, learned, and occasionally difficult, though well written and often fascinating. Arthur Morey delivers it as if in easy conversation with the listener, a learned man fluidly discoursing on a favorite topic. He clearly thought out sentences in advance, giving them just the right pacing, accentuation, and intonation patterns to match their meaning and make it clear; some are like well-executed musical figures. In occasional nonacademic quotations his voice acting can seem awkward, but those are brief and seldom. Such a gracefully modulated, carefully paced and emphasized reading, at this length, is a bravura performance. Morey makes this important book accessible and engaging for listeners, who are in his debt. W.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

DISTRUST THAT PARTICULAR FLAVOR
William Gibson, Read by Robertson Dean • Unabridged • JANUARY 2011
Tantor Media • Trade Ed.
Tantor Media • Library Ed.

Some of Gibson’s essays have the potential to drag, but in the competent voice of Robertson Dean, this production as a whole proves enjoyable, if a bit idiosyncratic. Collected from previous published nonfiction and speeches, its contents illustrate the miscellaneous thoughts about the contemporary world that have cycled through Gibson’s mind over the years. The most rewarding parts are the self-reflections Gibson provides after each piece. This where Dean really shines with his tone and delivery, communicating the sardonic and self-deprecating regard Gibson has for his work. Dean keeps to a balanced voice in this collection despite the range of style and purpose of the writings. He maintains a solid pace and tone that blend well with each entry. L.E. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

REPUBLIC, LOST How Money Corrupts Congress--and a Plan to Stop It
Lawrence Lessig, Read by Lawrence Lessig • Unabridged • JANUARY 2011
Hachette Audio • Digital Download

Lawrence Lessig continues to demonstrate his talents as both author and narrator with this recent offering. His timely and riveting analysis of how money has corrupted American politics and our entire system of government is presented clearly and at a pace that allows the listener to absorb the facts. Lessig's experience as a college professor is evident in his organized writing style and engaging oral delivery. He skillfully varies pace and pitch not only to instruct but also to hold the listener's attention while conveying his own passion for the topic. The solutions he proffers may seem quixotic, but they at least offer some hope that the sobering, if not downright depressing, realities presented here may someday be rectified. M.O.B. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine




Fantasy To Category List

LITTLE, BIG or, The Fairies' Parliament
John Crowley, Read by John Crowley et al. • Unabridged • JANUARY 2011
Blackstone Audiobooks • Library Ed.

A haunting and suspenseful adventure transports the listener into a realm at once enchantingly ethereal and grounded in our ordinary world. John Crowley knows the essence of this setting best and proves it as narrator, delivering just the right combination of amazement and aplomb. A female voice announces titles within the chapters. Her breathy and resonant voice is reminiscent of a fairy queen who is bestowing her blessing on the bewitching proceedings. Four generations of a family live in a house on the border of a magical world. This intergenerational fantasy dazzles with its elegant, lyrical prose. A.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine




Fiction To Category List

THE LAST NUDE
Ellis Avery, Read by Barbara Caruso, Thérèse Plummer • Unabridged • JANUARY 2011
HighBridge Audio • Trade Ed.
HighBridge Audio • Library Ed.

In this account of art deco painter Tamara de Lempicka’s relationship with her model, Rafaela, buildings look like confections and sewing machines sound like cicadas. In fact, nearly every detail thrums with lush, sensual imagery. Rafaela is stumbling her way through Jazz Age Paris when she meets Tamara and becomes her lover and muse. Thérèse Plummer voices young Rafaela with a contemporary inflection and captures her appealing energy. Plummer also balances the young woman’s naïveté with her somewhat desperate edges. Barbara Caruso narrates the artist’s part just as convincingly, immersing herself in the role of the emotional Polish painter. Her accent and direct tone provide an appropriate contrast to Plummer’s performance. This is an excellent production of a fascinating story. L.B.F. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

LOST MEMORY OF SKIN
Russell Banks, Read by Scott Shepherd • Unabridged • JANUARY 2011
Harper Audio • Digital Download
Recorded Books • Library Ed.

Banks’s new novel forces listeners to look at those who are the lepers of contemporary society—sexual offenders. The story, powerfully performed by Scott Shepherd, doesn't excuse the crime but asks if perpetrators could be handled differently. “The Kid” is an uneducated 22-year-old social reject who is arrested in a police sting in which he attempts to have sex with a 14-year-old girl. He gets three months in jail and 10 years on parole. Constantly monitored by a GPS device, he lives under a highway with other sex offenders, always more than 2,500 feet from schools or playgrounds. Shepherd shines portraying the Professor, a mysterious, morbidly obese man who wants to help. His Southern accent, turned up a notch when necessary, sounds like a voice to be trusted. The novel offers no easy answers but raises the questions about how to deal with a growing social problem. M.S. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

MRS. NIXON
Ann Beattie, Read by Ann Beattie • Unabridged • JANUARY 2011
Dreamscape • Trade Ed.

Bestselling authors write books that capture our imaginations and connect their characters to our lives. In that sense, Beattie has done an excellent job in both imagining the life of Pat Nixon and leading us through the process of writing such a fictionalization. The book gives us an idea of what Mrs. Nixon might have been thinking as the dutiful, but reluctant, spouse of our 36th president. Bestselling authors, though, are sometimes not the best choices to read their own books, and Beattie fits into this category. She has a clear voice and excellent diction, but she doesn’t have the presence and vitality that a vocal professional might lend to her work. Her reading is flat and lacks the emotional punch that fiction demands. The book is certainly worth a listen, but as an audio experience, it could be better. R.I.G. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

SELECTED SHORTS New American Stories
Jhumpa Lahiri, Sherman Alexie, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Aleksandar Hemon, Read by Rita Wolf, B.D. Wong, Boyd Gaines, Condola Rashad • Unabridged • JANUARY 2011
Symphony Space • Trade Ed.

Four poignant stories recount the divergent experiences of new Americans. Alexie, Adichie, Hemon, and Lahiri all write painfully moving snapshots of recent immigration, hurtful alienation, and bewildered resignation. Each performer delivers a substantial performance before a live audience, and as each story unfolds, the listener is treated to the striking realities of the process of becoming accepted as an American. Boyd Gaines's voice beseeches as the Sarajavan character he portrays in Hemon’s "Good Living"; Rita Wolf’s subtle accent and urgency are just right for Lahiri's “Hell Heaven”; Condola Rashad keenly grasps the daily toils depicted in Adichie's "The Thing Around Your Neck"; and B.D. Wong's passion and anger suit Alexie's homespun tale of mistaken identity in "Breaking and Entering." Like all Selected Shorts productions, this is an irresistible listening experience featuring ideally paired talent. A.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

VELVA JEAN LEARNS TO FLY
Jennifer Niven, Read by Emily Durante • Unabridged • JANUARY 2011
Tantor Media • Trade Ed.
Tantor Media • Library Ed.

Narrator Emily Durante quickly engages listeners in the latest adventures of the intriguing Velva Jean Hart (whether or not they’ve heard the prequel, VELVA JEAN LEARNS TO DRIVE). For the heroine, Durante establishes a North Carolina accent that never flags and a tone that clearly defines her feisty grit. These make it clear why Velva Jean leaves home to seek her “life’s dream”—to sing at the Grand Ole Opry—and then learns to fly, establishing “a home in the sky” as one of WWII’s female pilots. As war, sexism, and love buffet Velva Jean, Durante reveals her tender side, creating a perfect harmony of moods, song lyrics, and carefully researched period details into a melodious novel. S.W. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine




History To Category List

HOW TO SURVIVE THE TITANIC: THE SINKING OF J. BRUCE ISMAY
Frances Wilson, Read by Robin Sachs • Unabridged • JANUARY 2011
Dreamscape • Library Ed.

J. Bruce Ismay is a historical footnote: The owner of the TITANIC survived the sinking and lived the rest of his life in shame. Should he have gone down with the ship? He said he jumped onto a lifeboat as it was being lowered, meaning he did not steal a seat. But did he fail life's biggest test of courage? Narrator Robin Sachs inspires both revulsion and compassion for Ismay, a man overwhelmed by fate. Sachs is the voice of many men and women from different cultures, who weigh in with bits and pieces of the drama. There were 2,223 on board the “unsinkable” ship when it sunk 100 years ago, and 1,500 died. This is the tragic story of one who did not. M.S. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine




Horror To Category List

MILE 81
Stephen King, Read by Thomas Sadoski, Edward Herrmann • Unabridged • JANUARY 2011
Simon & Schuster Audio • Trade Ed.

This is a lovely, scary little trifle. Master storyteller King uses language sparingly to create a compelling picture of a sunny Maine afternoon, an abandoned highway rest stop, some innocent children, and a car-shaped monster that eats people, whole and live. Thomas Sadoski’s young voice is a perfect fit, deftly capturing the aggravation of being 10 years old and left behind by your older brother, as well as the fear and bravado of being 6 and having to take care of your 3-year-old brother after seeing something horrific happen to your parents. Sadoski’s matter-of-fact narration of the monster’s deeds makes the tale that much more unnerving to hear. The production is rounded out with Edward Herrmann’s delivery of “The Dune.” It’s a very short story with strong forward drive, and Herrmann works it perfectly. What a terrifically creepy way to spend a couple hours. G.D. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine




Mystery & Suspense To Category List

BELIEVING THE LIE An Inspector Lynley Novel
Elizabeth George, Read by Davina Porter • Unabridged • JANUARY 2011
Penguin Audio • Trade Ed.
Recorded Books • Library Ed.

Scotland Yard Detective Thomas Lynley, still grieving for his recently murdered wife, is sent to the Lake District to investigate a mysterious death. Narrator Davina Porter's wide range enables her to flawlessly handle international characters, including the curses of a bitter old man, and the occasional snippets of subtle humor. In his search, Lynley encounters a dysfunctional family with countless motives and opportunities for murder. Interestingly, the outstanding characters for BOTH author and narrator are a tabloid reporter who is hilariously chasing his big story as he deals with his matchmaking Jewish mother and two very different little girls who are so winning and fun to listen to that listeners will eagerly anticipate them. Secrets abound, and listeners will be engaged to the last minute. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

DEAD LOW TIDE
Bret Lott, Read by Dick Hill • Unabridged • JANUARY 2011
Dreamscape • Trade Ed.

Charleston, South Carolina, is the seat of Southern charm, naval history, and the wealthy community of Landgrave Hall. The rags-to-riches Dillard family is having trouble fitting in with their new neighbors, and it doesn't help that while mooring their boat at the golf course, Huger and his father find a dead woman floating in the water. Dick Hill's spellbinding narration draws the listener into the heart of this story of murder, family crisis, class divisions, and military secrets. Hill's pitch-perfect emotional range tracks Huger's revulsion at seeing the body, his confusion when he becomes entangled with law enforcement, and his fear and resolve at the heart-thumping climax. C.B.L. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

EMPIRE OF GOLD
Andy McDermott, Read by Robin Sachs • Unabridged • JANUARY 2011
Random House Audio • Digital Download
Books on Tape

Here are the latest in the larger-than-life adventures of American archaeologist Nina Wilde and her English husband, former mercenary Eddie Chase. The pair is hot on the trail of a powerful stone relic, while also trying to solve the mystery of the Inca's lost city of gold, El Dorado. Robin Sachs's rich, full voice and powerful acting make for a most enjoyable listen. Sachs is dead-on in his portrayal of Eddie, a rough yet big-hearted Yorkshireman. Sachs perfectly captures his humor as well as his more deadly side. Sachs also delivers well-rounded and believable portrayals of Nina and the other characters, all with distinct voices and consistent accents. A cleverly executed audio experience. A.C.P. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

AN EXPERT IN MURDER A Josephine Tey Mystery
Nicola Upson, Read by Davina Porter • Unabridged • JANUARY 2011
AudioGO • Library Ed.

Upson’s somewhat complex, literary mystery features a fictionalized version of writer Josephine Tey. She’s involved in a murder mystery surrounding her successful play, RICHARD OF BORDEAUX. Davina Porter narrates in an extra-crisp English accent and supplies other accents as needed. She lowers, gruffens, or hardens her voice for males, a tactic that works if you don’t think about it too much. She goes beyond reading to act the roles with intelligence and tact, imbuing Tey with good sense and a slightly humorous waspishness that seem to fit the authorial voice of her novels (and giving her a Scots accent). The performance manages to be brisk, sensitive, and word perfect all at once. An admirable piece of work. W.M. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

THE INVISIBLE ONES
Stef Penney, Read by Dan Stevens • Unabridged • JANUARY 2011
Penguin Audio • Digital Download
Recorded Books • Library Ed.

Half-gypsy private investigator Ray Lovell is in the hospital in a state of delirium and paralysis. He’s been poisoned. In an attempt to determine how it happened, he begins retracing his steps through his investigation into the disappearance of gypsy woman Rose Janko, along with the strange web of her husband’s family. Narrator Dan Stevens brings a level of authenticity to the characters. Also impressive is Stevens’s ability to give each character a distinctive voice, particularly teenager J.J. Janko, whose point of view is a major part of Penney’s story. Penney’s plot and Stevens’s narration mesh beautifully to create a gripping listen. J.L.K. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

KILL ALEX CROSS
James Patterson, Read by Andre Braugher, Zach Grenier • Abridged • JANUARY 2011
Hachette Audio • Trade Ed.

Andre Braugher and Zack Grenier are a perfect team in this new Alex Cross thriller, perhaps one of the best. Author Patterson has a lot going on at the same time. The president's children are missing, and a terrorist group is targeting Washington. Is there a connection? Leave it to Alex Cross to find out. Braugher's straightforward portrayals of Cross and his cronies are outstanding, and Grenier's accents and characterizations of the villains are chilling. A kidnapper's insane laugh reaches right into your gut. Sound effects—music, gunshots, car chases—all contribute to the fast-paced action. A.L.H © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

ONE DOG NIGHT
David Rosenfelt, Read by Grover Gardner • Unabridged • JANUARY 2011
Listen & Live Audio • Trade Ed.

ONE DOG NIGHT successfully blends murder with a tongue-in-cheek tone, a Rosenfelt specialty. Narrator Grover Gardner immerses listeners in Rosenfelt’s story, which is filled with one-liners and zingers that play off of the murders of 26 people. Noah Galloway has known for six years the cops would come someday. Come they do, charging him with the murders. Andy Carpenter, star defense lawyer, cruises through life as heir to a 21-million-dollar nest egg. He agrees to defend Noah, who then promptly confesses his guilt. Gardner is at his best delivering Andy’s wiseacre lines and creating just the right feel for the story’s New Jersey setting. T.J.M. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

QUINN
Iris Johansen, Read by Jennifer Van Dyck • Unabridged • JANUARY 2011
Brilliance Audio • Trade Ed.
Brilliance Audio • Library Ed.

Jennifer Van Dyck picks up the narration she began in EVE in this second book of the special trilogy featuring Eve Duncan and her search for her daughter’s killer. Van Dyck imbues her reading with a variety of accents, including the British accent of the Hong Kong-born Catherine Ling and the Southern drawl of the Georgia-based characters. Even with this focus on accents, however, the reading comes across as a little monotonous, and much of the romantic banter falls flat. Still, as Eve, Quinn, Catherine, and John Gallo come closer to finding the truth, Van Dyck builds the tension in her reading, leaving the listener waiting for the conclusion of this trilogy. E.N. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

RAYLAN
Elmore Leonard, Read by Brian D'Arcy James • Unabridged • JANUARY 2011
Harper Audio • Trade Ed.
Blackstone Audiobooks • Library Ed.

Leonard’s Stetson-wearing U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens has been demoted to rural Kentucky, but that doesn’t reduce the killing and excitement that always seem to swirl around him. Narrator Brian D'Arcy James expertly voices a broad range of characters. While the listener has some difficulty in discriminating between blacks and whites (especially females) in the Southern drawls, it’s a minor problem. James also enhances Leonard’s famously pithy dialogue with perfect pacing and timing. The TV series "Justified" is based on the Raylan Givens character. M.C. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

TAG MAN A Joe Gunther Novel
Archer Mayor, Read by William Dufris • Unabridged • JANUARY 2011
AudioGO • Library Ed.

Joe Gunther of the Vermont Bureau of Investigation is investigating a suspect known as the “Tag Man.” He breaks into affluent people’s homes at night, spies on them, eats some food, and then leaves a note that says “You’re it.” William Dufris has the gift of making the listener forget about the narrator as he keeps the suspense going. Just when things seem to be falling into place, the plot twists unexpectedly. Dufris makes the characters feel like old friends, each one distinctly defined by his or her vocal quality—and he is especially great at making the listener root for the “Tag Man,” a very intriguing character! Joe Gunther fans and newcomers will enjoy this entertaining mystery. M.M.G. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

UNDER THE DOG STAR A Rachel Goddard Mystery
Sandra Parshall, Read by Tavia Gilbert • Unabridged • JANUARY 2011
Blackstone Audiobooks • Library Ed.

Narrator Tavia Gilbert fully conveys the country twang and warmhearted nature of capable, hardworking vet Rachel Goddard. In her Virginia mountain town she investigates the troubling disappearance of local pets and struggles to capture and reform feral canines that are killing area livestock. Also dead-on is Gilbert’s characterization of Sheriff Tom Bridger, Goddard’s live-in beau, who is investigating the murder of a local doctor by a vicious dog. However, when Gilbert voices the mob of angry men who are up in arms about the murder and the dog pack, they don’t sound as intimidating as they ought. Overall, though, the tension and suspense are only slightly impacted by a few weak-voiced villains. D.P.D. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

V IS FOR VENGEANCE
Sue Grafton, Read by Judy Kaye • Abridged • JANUARY 2011
Random House Audio • Trade Ed.

Narrator Judy Kaye "delivers" in this most satisfying latest chapter in the adventures of kick-ass private detective Kinsey Milhone. Seemingly unconnected lives collide and a chain of events follows, bridging past actions and future consequences when Kinsey happens to spot a shoplifting team in action in a department store. Soon after, one of the thieves ends up dead. Was it suicide—or something more sinister? The story is chock full of irony, humor, clever dialogue, twists, and smart-aleck cracks sure to satisfy the most discerning Grafton fan. Kaye easily shifts between characters, each distinct and well portrayed. None do it better than Grafton and Kaye. A.C.P. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

VICTORY AND HONOR An Honor Bound Novel
W.E.B. Griffin, William E. Butterworth, IV, Read by Scott Brick • Unabridged • JANUARY 2011
Penguin Audio • Trade Ed.
Recorded Books • Library Ed.

This may be the last (and the least) of Griffin's Honor Bound WWII adventures featuring Cletus Frade and his cohorts in the Office of Strategic Services. But don't bet on it. Narrator Scott Brick has read every one of the Frade novels, and his reading is as well done as ever. The trouble is that, unlike the previous books, there's absolutely no action. Not even one shot is fired. Frade, a former Marine who has been drafted into the OSS, is sent to Argentina to conduct multiple clandestine operations against the Nazis. With the war at an end, Hitler dead, and the Allies rounding up as many Nazis as possible, Frade tries to smuggle two German officers who helped him into Argentina. Brick holds the story together, and his sardonic voice and mastery of accents are superb. Still, the listener wonders: Is this the end, or will Frade join the CIA, the OSS's successor, and fight the new enemy of the free world—Stalin? A.L.H. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

WE ALL FALL DOWN
Michael Harvey, Read by Stephen Hoye • Unabridged • JANUARY 2011
Random House Audio • Digital Download
Books on Tape • Library Ed.

There's plenty of murder and mayhem in this latest Michael Kelly adventure, and narrator Stephen Hoye makes the most of it by pacing the action well. The nursery rhyme this book's title comes from refers to the sixteenth-century epidemic of "Black Death," which killed one third of humanity. That's close to what detective Michael Kelly is called on to combat in Harvey's newest. Someone has released a deadly pathogen on the West Side of Chicago, and while corpses are loaded onto trains for cremation, Kelly searches for the source. Somehow the answer relates to a murdered Korean merchant, a Mafia boss, and a local gang. Hoye's accents are highly believable, and his narrative voice is unusual and intriguing. Overall, there's nothing in this performance that lets the listener down. A.L.H. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine




Personal Growth To Category List

HEALING AT THE SPEED OF SOUND How What We Hear Transforms Our Brains and Our Lives
Don Campbell, Alex Doman, Read by Jim Bond • Unabridged • JANUARY 2011
Brilliance Audio • Trade Ed.
Brilliance Audio • Library Ed.

Sounds have a profound impact on our daily lives, moods, relationships, and more. Jim Bond reads at an easy pace. His presentation of information showing how managing the sounds around you can help you to improve physical, emotional, and mental health is easily accessible and generally conclusory. However, designed to take advantage of the technology of e-books, with active links to additional material, this book is not as well suited to audio. With approximately 80 links, it is much like listening to a heavily footnoted book—without the benefit of the footnotes. Moreover, for a book on the influence of sound, one sound in particular, the one that signals links, is jarring and is reminiscent of audio feedback from a microphone. J.E.M. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine




Poetry & Drama To Category List

DRACULA
Bram Stoker, Read by David Selby, John Glover, Simon Templeman, Matthew Wolf, Moira Quirk, Lisa O’hare, Nick Toren • Unabridged • JANUARY 2011
L.A. Theatre Works • Library Ed.

This dramatized version of DRACULA rushes the story’s beginning to concentrate on the vampire’s period in England, where those he’s blighted, with the aid of Dr. Van Helsing, take up battle against him. After the initial haste, the adaptation grows more and more effective. Early on, the audience laughs at perceived hokeyness—the story is old and well known—but the laughter dies away as the chill and creepiness mount. The acting is uniformly solid, though David Selby’s accent, as Van Helsing, is inconsistent. The sound effects—such as a wolf’s howl—are excellent. The story is old but far from dead; it rises up to instill dread and grab you by the throat. W.M. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine




Science Fiction To Category List

SISTERHOOD OF DUNE
Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson, Read by Scott Brick • Unabridged • JANUARY 2011
Macmillan Audio • Trade Ed.

Scott Brick returns to the Dune saga in this first of a trilogy on the founding of the major schools of the empire, beginning with the Bene Gesserit sisterhood. Eight decades after the thinking machines were defeated, the empire is poised for change as anti-technology forces become increasingly aggressive in destroying anything vaguely related to technology. In his inimitable style, Brick draws upon his well-established characterizations to weave the threads of the plot and maintain interest and focus. The complexity of the Dune universe and the political and social intrigue of the ruling families will be well known to fans of the series. Newcomers may enjoy the book but would be well advised to read the original Dune novel first. J.E.M. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine




Young Adult To Category List

BEAUTIFUL CHAOS
Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl, Read by Kevin T. Collins • Unabridged • JANUARY 2011
Hachette Audio • Digital Download

In the third entry in the Beautiful Creatures series, teenagers Ethan and Lena face the consequences of Lena’s magical powers. Dark magic seems to be attacking Gatlin, South Carolina, and as the apocalypse approaches, narrator Kevin Collins brings listeners close to Ethan's palpable dread. Further, there are truly creepy conversations with the Lilum demon. With all of these, listeners will be glad for the comic relief of Ethan's incubus sidekick. Collins’s diction and pace are not what they could be, and his sibilance is distracting. The book’s sound effects—of fire, water, echoes—are well placed, as are the magical songs. To best understand this lengthy fantasy, listen to the preceding books first. C.A. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

THE DARK DAYS OF HAMBURGER HALPIN
Josh Berk, Read by Jim Meskimen • Unabridged • JANUARY 2011
Listening Library • Digital Download
Listening Library • Library Ed.

Jim Meskimen’s narration begins as quiet and contemplative, self-deprecating and snarky. As the story progresses and the deaf, overweight Wil Halpin makes a friend and tries to solve the mystery of a classmate’s murder, Meskimen gains a hint of joy in his voice. Meskimen makes it clear that although he may be the object of jokes, Halpin is not a victim. He is smart, witty, observant and a really good friend. He also handles the story’s climax, in which the murderer is accused in front of police, ring true. The interactions between Halpin and the hearing world are realistically portrayed and will leave listeners with a new understanding of the deaf. The interview with the author answers many questions about how Berk captured the world of a deaf teen so completely. This is not a book about deafness nor obesity but a good old-fashioned mystery in which sleuthing saves the day. G.G. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine