New Reviews: Fiction

Narrators Rebekkah Ross and Gabra Zackman create a memorable portrait of 16-year-old Maddy, who delights in classical music, animation, and her family and friends, but who has been diagnosed with cancer. In a sweet and intelligent tone, Ross captures Maddy's efforts to live in the present moment and her ability to revel in her strong bond with her supportive mother, Eve; her... Read More

Narrator Thérèse Plummer depicts every degree of anger, confusion, sorrow, and regret in this dramatic story of a dysfunctional family on the day of the death of the family patriarch. Listeners will be spellbound by Plummer's impressive skill in evoking the unrelenting outpouring of emotion throughout this highly charged and fast-paced audiobook. She creates penetrating... Read More

Kirby Heyborne and Johanna Parker alternate narrating these stories about the emotional and sometimes difficult relationship between parents and their children. It's a curious and sometimes comical collection, and both narrators skillfully take on the challenge of performing the variety of characters. Heyborne handles both the humor and gravitas with care and confidence. Parker... Read More

A harrowing story of Syrian war refugees is strikingly rendered in narrator Art Malik's deep, resonant tones. Nuri and Afra, a married couple who endure a devastating tragedy, are in the process of building new lives beyond the horrors of war. Malik's voice is gentle and soothing when appropriate and harsh and biting when necessary. He maneuvers through suspenseful moments and... Read More

This audiobook offers an unusual juxtaposition of momentum and inertia. Both Frankie Corzo and Bruce Mann deliver narrations that are forceful and well delivered. Their voices have a bold quality and a lyrical accent that suit the novel well. While there is a barely restrained air about their energetic readings, the plot of this unusual spy novel lurches between minute... Read More

Neil Gaiman asserted that "short stories are tiny windows into other worlds and other minds and other dreams." This collection of "tiny windows," performed by narrators as diverse and vivid as the stories themselves, provides glimpses of worlds, minds, and dreams that are tragic, wistful, disturbing, and thought-provoking. The variety of content will entice a wide audience,... Read More

After listening to Tavia Gilbert's narration, listeners will wish they could actually meet these best friends. In St. Louis, Jess needs her two besties more than ever after her husband, Arthur, abandons her and their children for a younger woman. Jess and her friends support one another through life events, both positive and negative. The women are strong and independent,... Read More

Narrator Leon Nixon delivers author Terry's style flawlessly. With his deep voice and, at times, laconic pace, Nixon narrates with a nuanced tone that draws listeners into the internal struggles of a mixed-race young man who grapples to find his place in the world. While routinely alienated by white people, he seems incapable of validating his blackness and finds himself... Read More

Vikas Adam is an experienced narrator who often voices South Asian-themed titles with a vigor that helps them shine. This coming-of-age novel is no exception. Adam becomes Kiran Sharma, a first-generation Indian-American immigrant son who disappoints his parents and some of his teachers and friends. Adam infuses Kiran with the poignancy of a teenager struggling to be himself... Read More

Three narrators team up to perform this sweet contemporary small-town story. Amanda Ronconi delivers the chapters that focus on local librarian Sarah, who is determined to save her Southern hometown, Dove Pond, from irreversible decline. Grace, portrayed by Tavia Gilbert, has temporarily relocated to the area in an effort to help her found family: an aging foster mother and an... Read More

Sofia Quintero's performance of this audiobook is compelling. Listeners are drawn into her first-person portrayal of Marisol, who encourages her nephew, Ramón, to solve a mystery with a twist: Marisol died during the Cuban Revolution, and Ramón is living in present-day New Jersey. Listeners come to know Marisol's ghost, particularly her empathetic voice, which Quintero... Read More

Carolina De Robertis is author and narrator of this historical novel about prohibited love during the 1970s in Uruguay. Fans of literary fiction will applaud her decision to narrate since she captures the lyricism of her prose with style and grace. Those seeking new voices in world literature will be delighted to discover her tender, careful treatment of her five female... Read More

Listeners who appreciate a well-crafted, character-driven novel will value this story illuminating family relationships, presented by the accomplished narrator Patience Tomlinson. Each of the five major characters is well portrayed. We come to understand James, the elderly ex-professor who needs help with everyday living, along with his middle-aged children, who are emotionally... Read More

Through narrator Laurence Bouvard's varied performance, listeners are treated to a family saga and a history of the development of Oman. Mayya, Asma, and Khawla are three sisters whose lives and concerns are vividly brought to life by Bouvard. She is a talented female narrator who is up for the challenge of depicting these very different women with distinct personalities.... Read More

Becky Brandon (née Bloomwood) is back, and Nathalie Buscome honors this long-running series with her spirited narration and charismatic English accent. While Becky is determined to have her first time hosting Christmas go well, the stressful situation with warring guests that ensues is a comical delight for listeners. Becky runs into an ex with a too cool, bored voice whose... Read More

At first listen, Dion Graham's narration of this historical novel about jazz pioneer Buddy Bolden, originally published in 1996, sounds breathy and at times overly dramatic. But he's just warming up. As the colorful details of the cornet player's life unfold, Graham cranks up the story's intense moments to great effect, while dialing the mood down with hushed tones and slower... Read More

Author and narrator Elizabeth Berg effortlessly captures the tone and pacing of her Midwestern characters as they face life stages and contemporary social conflict. What started as a dining club evolves into a support group whose only requirement is that the participants be honest in their confessions. Most poignant are the characters' long-term regrets and abuses, which have... Read More

Actor and writer Michael Hughes presents this vivid and audacious reimagining of THE ILIAD with a musical brogue that puts the listener squarely in Ireland. The story is set in the North in 1996 during the cease-fire on the eve of peace talks. "The Troubles" provide the backdrop for the Homeric plot and give this story of violence, ancient animosities, and endless rebellion a... Read More

Cathleen McCarron's lilting intonation and Scottish accent beautifully capture the quiet optimism of this heartfelt novel, set in Edinburgh. Ailsa Rae, who is 28, had a congenital heart defect that had her in and out of hospitals all her life. An alluring breathlessness in McCarron's soft voice conveys a tone of confiding when she reads entries in Ailsa's blog, "Blueheart," and... Read More

Narrator Neil Shah creates a unique, insistent persona for Kakharman, a Kazak fisherman who is fighting to protect his village's source of sustenance. This is a timely tale of national and personal conflict over bodies of water. Shah's narration is steady and constant, bringing us closer to the harsh realities of life for this fisherman and his fellow villagers in what, for... Read More

Neil Shah gives an eloquently unadorned narration of this modern quest novel, set in Syria. On his deathbed, Abdel asks his eldest son, Bolbol, to return his body to his ancestral burial ground. The journey is not far, yet it traverses the most dangerous part of the war-ravaged country. Bolbol enlists the help of his criminally suspect brother, Hussein, and his flighty sister,... Read More

A fascinating premise is not fully worked out in this audiobook. What happens when the entire African-American population of a Southern state decides to move away? This story focuses more on the moment of departure than on the long-term consequences or the reason for the abrupt, unanimous decision to leave. The story is not helped much by narrator Jay Smooth. His voice is,... Read More

Set in the 1960s, this audiobook introduces Ana, a 15-year-old new bride whose mercurial husband brings her to America. Coral Pena's strong delivery is a breath of fresh air--her depiction of Ana blends confidence and naïveté as the protagonist makes her way from her home in the Dominican Republic to New York, from a simple life to a complicated one. Pena is a master of accents... Read More

Parveen, the protagonist in this audiobook, is a newly minted college graduate eager to make a difference. Inspired by a flawed American philanthropist, she takes her idealism to the land of her birth: Afghanistan. Roxanne Radja's narration is an understated one. Her voice is consistently gentle and calm, exuding a steadying influence even as characters in the novel endure... Read More

Tom Hanks narrates this novel about Danny and Maeve, and their beloved childhood home, The Dutch House, with a restraint that admirably captures the writing's surface calm and buried tension. Set in 1950s Philadelphia, Patchett's first book since COMMONWEALTH feels as timeless as a fairy story, and is, in fact, satisfyingly full of classic tropes--grand house, distant father,... Read More

Narrator Madison Lawrence exuberantly introduces 26-year-old Mia West, who is anticipating a proposal from her boyfriend. When the big moment doesn't materialize, Mia spontaneously joins Humanitas, an international organization that helps the needy. Billionaire Lars Lindquist, a well-rendered eccentric, entertains the volunteers on his private island before they depart.... Read More

Robin Miles's luminous narration will make converts of those who usually abstain from the short story genre. She does not overdo or overemphasize any moment. Her voice has a quiet lushness that suits the carefully curated prose of acclaimed Haitian-American writer Edwidge Danticat. With subtle alterations in her intonation, pitch, and inflection, Miles creates haunting... Read More

Narrator Michael Stuhlbarg's rough, raspy voice lends a whispery intimacy to this sequel to CALL ME BY YOUR NAME. That book focused on 17-year-old Elio's relationship with Oliver, a graduate student. This sequel focuses first on Sami, Elio's father. It's 10 years later. Sami is on a train to Rome to visit Elio, now a world-famous concert pianist, when he finds himself drawn to... Read More

Narrators John Sackville and Perdita Weeks expertly deliver the two timeframes of this inventive novel. Winterson imagines what might happen when humans are supplanted by a variety of man-made replacements, the arrival of which is closer than many of us think. Weeks portrays nineteenth-century author Mary Shelley, a woman ahead of her time with her story of the tragically... Read More

This audiobook is a ghost story and a mystery and several kinds of love story. It has something for everyone, including those who just want a solid narration of a solid novel. There is only one ghost, who narrates, and the mystery is not the true heart of the story. Narrator Jim Meskimen keeps all the themes and characters in balance, so when we realize that the real subject of... Read More

Narrator Sheila Atim sets a sensitive yet emphatic tone for this harrowing story of violence, loss, and survival. She becomes Maryam, a Nigerian girl who is abducted by the infamous militant Boko Haram. Atim brings listeners to tears as we hear the many violations Maryam must endure--and then makes us hang on breathlessly to see whether her incredible bid for freedom will... Read More

Narrator Stephanie Racine instills an enthusiastic tone of wonder at the transformative quality of books in this tale with a beautiful dreamlike quality. Juliette loves creating stories about the strangers who read on the Paris metro. A deviation from her normal route leads her to a bookstore, and to owner Soliman and his precocious daughter. Juliette falls into the role of a... Read More

Narrator Anna-Maria Nabirye's warm, rhythmic voice embraces listeners from the first rush of words in this Booker Award-winning kaleidoscope of a novel about a group of interconnected black women in England from the 1980s to today. A playwright for whom being black and lesbian is important; her straight daughter, who doesn't see what the fuss is; a friend who's jaded after... Read More

A small island off Cape Cod is the backdrop for this audio psychological suspense. Lydia and Lucas have been living a secluded existence, keeping alive the memory of their triplet brother, who died in infancy. When a mysterious stranger arrives and integrates himself into the siblings' lives, it soon transpires that all is not as it seems. Lisa Flanagan narrates with... Read More

Zadie Smith, who narrates the first and last of the 19 stories in her collection, vividly explores people's complex lives. This audiobook includes published pieces from THE NEW YORKER as well as new works. Smith's low pitch and English accent make this work sound calm and literary--as if she is narrating to a familiar audience. Doc Brown's narration of the other 17 stories is... Read More

In a smart-alecky tone mixed with genuine heart, narrator Aimee Horne nails the character of Abigail Sorenson. Abigail is a single mother in her mid-30s running a café in Sydney after leaving her law practice. She is a satirical and sharp observer of the absurd with a witty turn of phrase, but she also holds her losses close--a cheating husband and the unsolved disappearance of... Read More

With the melodic cadence of South Asian-accented English, Sagar Arya narrates this mystical novel about a rare book dealer embarking on a journey that involves multiple continents. Deen Datta follows the threads of an ancient Bengali legend, barely remembered from his childhood, from New York to India, Venice, and the site of an ancient shrine in a remote place called Gun... Read More

Kathleen McInerney's dynamic narration will have listeners either laughing out loud or cringing as she skillfully captures the absurdity and craziness of this dark comedic debut. Stressed out and overwhelmed, Holly Banks is failing at getting her life together after her husband's job relocates them across the country to the zany village of Primm. With the brisk plot taking... Read More

Veteran character actor Alex Hyde-White delivers just the right down-to-earth Midwest tone in these seven interconnected short stories. They examine the lives of a small group of friends who grew up in the 1960s, went to war, returned, started families and businesses--and suddenly it's twilight, time to look back on their lives. There is a tough realism to these tales of... Read More

Listeners will be riveted by Mary Lewis's accomplished narration of this harrowing audiobook about survival under extreme circumstances. Eleven-year-old Everett and nine-year-old Ada have just buried both parents and their younger sister and are now living on their own in an isolated cove in nineteenth-century Newfoundland. Lewis sensitively conveys the unbearable burdens these... Read More

This extremely funny audiobook highlights the tension that arises when a job interviewer believes that an applicant is unqualified--only to discover that his colleagues disagree and have hired the "incompetent." The resulting ego-driven competition set in the cutthroat world of business consulting is captured flawlessly by narrator Jeremy Bobb. Bobb recognizes that Freedman's... Read More

Narrator Adam Verner guides listeners through the bizarre story of the Marah family and the events that lead to a man ending up in the hospital with a wound in his head from a surgical instrument. When Cohen Marah discovers his father's body in their family mortuary, he immediately leaves, hoping that no one will realize he's been there. Did he kill his father, or is there... Read More

Allan Corduner superbly narrates this wryly humorous and deftly observed audiobook featuring two 90-something characters, Beryl and Shimi. Beryl is a challenging woman with a domineering and abrasive manner; she refers to her caregivers as Euphoria and Nastya. Corduner succeeds in depicting all the facets of her complex character, including her severe memory lapses. The gentle... Read More

Lisa Flanagan's quiet, reflective delivery is well matched to this coming-of-age story set in Naples. The story is told in retrospect. Heddi, an American, is reminded of her student years in Italy after receiving an unexpected email from Pietro, her first love and the man she lived with in Naples's Spanish Quarter during college. Flanagan successfully navigates one of the major... Read More

Narrator Joel Froomkin's devil-may-care tone perfectly matches the attitude of tall, fair-haired, charismatic Troy Augustus Loudermilk, a young man who wins a prestigious poetry scholarship even though he has never written a poem. In this comic novel, Ives pulls back the curtain on higher education, revealing the scam that people can be taught to write and the calcified... Read More

Narrators Tim Paige and Virginia Rose pair perfectly for the romantic second installment of the Central Park Pact. Claire, a young widow, is determined to get out of her rut, beginning with the redesign of her home. Enter Scott, a contractor whose heart has been hardened by a cheating ex, cynicism Claire can relate to. Tensions rise, but soon the pair's wariness turns to... Read More

Few narrators are as capable as Sophie Amoss at conveying the singular mix of ennui, angst, bravado, and drama that consume teenage girls. This short audiobook follows an unnamed privileged girl over the course of a pivotal summer at the shore. It's a time when she begins to see the world through more mature eyes. Amoss emphasizes the teen's emotional turmoil as the protagonist... Read More

Narrator George Blagden maintains a consistently calm tone as he takes listeners through all the uncertainties and dualities in this mesmerizing and addictive audiobook. The story shifts between two time periods: 1988 and 2016. Nothing is quite what it seems, and listeners do not know who or what is reliable. Employing subtle American, English, and German accents and quietly... Read More

Narrator Thom Rivera gives this novel an unforgettable performance as he captures the diminishing spirit and dying body of José María lvarez. Rivera's diction is spot-on as he delivers Spanish, American, Swiss, and Indian accents. He powerfully conveys the tortured thoughts of the flawed and complex private banker at the center of this compelling work as he re-creates the... Read More

Yes, this Marley is THAT Marley. Dickens's perennial staple, A CHRISTMAS CAROL, gets a fascinating prequel with this audiobook, performed with a perfect blend of authenticity and over-the-top caricature by Matthew Lloyd Davies. While this portrait is rendered in darker tones, and Clinch's considerable authorial skill is uniquely his own, the Dickensian touches of quirky names,... Read More

Narrator Jill Eikenberry lends her gentle voice to these subtly humorous short stories of life behind the scenes at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Based in reality, they cross over into fantasy when the art comes to life (literally). Eikenberry gives unique voices to antique chairs discussing their previous lives, muses slipping out of their paintings, custodians from the... Read More

Piper Goodeve delivers a clear and steady first-person narration of this charming story based on true events. Twenty-five-year-old Bree rescues pets of Little Bridge Island after a hurricane prevents many residents from returning when they planned. Bree accepts help from Drew, her boss's nephew, but is determined not to fall for him after her recent breakup. Goodeve grunts as... Read More

Narrator Marin Ireland flawlessly introduces listeners to Lillian and Madison, two unlikely friends separated after a boarding school scandal. Years later, on the precipice of a major change, Madison begs Lillian to become her twin step-children's governess. These are special kids: When they become agitated, they spontaneously combust. Drawing from a seemingly endless supply of... Read More

Kimberly Farr, who performed Elizabeth Strout's previous Olive Kitteridge novel to fine effect, does it again in this newest examination of Crosby, Maine's, odd and marvelous inhabitants, starting with Olive herself. Awkward, brusque Olive has a beau of sorts, a fellow with a large stomach and large issues. Despite the issues, he makes her feel loved. For more than that, you... Read More

Narrators Nyasha Hatendi and Sibongile Mlambo create a rich vocal tapestry for this historical novel. We trace the journey of Africans who are carrying explorer David Livingstone's body across the continent in order to return it to England for burial. Hatendi and Mlambo alternate between the main characters, Jacob and Halima, who make the perilous trip with a retinue of 69 men,... Read More

Gravelly voiced Khristine Hvam brings passion and love to this story of tenacity, perseverance, and hope. Creative clothing designer Caroline Shelby returns home to Oysterville, Washington, after two tragedies in her life: first, the theft of her designs and then, the sudden death of her best friend and model, Angelique Baptiste. With Angelique's two children, Addie and Flick,... Read More

Deepti Gupta narrates a novel loosely inspired by Jane Austen's EMMA. Beautiful, rich, and more than a little bored, Delhi socialite Ania Khurana is always on the lookout for a new "project" to keep busy. Currently, she is searching for a match for her friend Dimple. Gupta does an excellent job bringing the members of ultrarich Delhi society to life, subtly distinguishing... Read More

Award-winning narrator Vikas Adam happily jumps from the voice of a Bollywood princess to the mumbles of a fentanyl pharmaceutical rep and the asides of Jiminy Cricket in this giant modern-day fable. The story finds a lovelorn British-Indian Don Quixote and his imaginary son who wants to be real (à la Pinocchio) following their personal quests across an inexhaustible landscape... Read More

Brimming with confidence and self-assurance, narrator Susan Spain is a perfect fit for Yvonne, a successful interior designer and single mom ready to bring her talents to television. Then her son's estranged father shows up--giving her second thoughts about her fiancé. High drama ensues, and Spain's optimistic tone accentuates the ups and downs as Yvonne tries to balance having... Read More

This rich audiobook features two African-American women who are connected by blood but separated by almost a century of cultural differences. Their story depicts resonant themes of trust, race, and the power of women. Narrator Myra Lucretia Taylor portrays Josephine, a slave in Louisiana who became owner of her own farm. In 1924 she recounts her memories--including those of her... Read More

Timothy Ackroyd reprises his clever narration in Alexander McCall Smith's second audiobook about the fictional food writer Paul Stewart. Ackroyd smoothly captures the protagonist's wit and reveals his angst in the verbal equivalent of thought bubbles. His spot-on imitations of French-inflected English from the many local characters give color to this comic novel. His measured... Read More

Narrators Dylan Moore and Nicol Zanzarella team up to offer differing views of a near-future world in which true human connections are scarce. Luce, portrayed by Zanzarella, is an up-and-coming musician on the cusp of fame when her career is shattered by bombings, deadly viruses, and a worldwide wave of terror. Rosemary, portrayed by Moore, grew up after the cataclysms in a... Read More

Narrator Cassandra Campbell provides listeners with a full range of accents, emotions, and inflections for characters who span the globe in this audiobook about horses, family, and friendship. In North Carolina in 2018 during a hurricane, guests and their horses converge in the hills to escape the storm. While there, emotions run high, secrets are revealed, and lives are... Read More

This warm audiobook offers multiple impressions of the word "sunshine." First, Sunshine is the name of a place, a hamlet deep in remote Australia. There, characters ably portrayed by Paul English and Katherine Tonkin try to rebuild their lives in the aftermath of The Great War. Immersed in the darkness of survivors' guilt and horrifying memories, they turn their faces toward... Read More

Narrators Paul English and Eloise Oxer bring the past and future together in this genre-bending novel, which spans centuries. Oxer's smooth pacing and use of a Scottish accent transport listeners to 1860s Edinburgh. There, Leonora feels haunted by a lustful man named Jeff, portrayed by English, who inhabits her mind and watches her everyday life using an advanced piece of... Read More

This contemporary novel, performed by an ensemble cast, focuses on the #MeToo movement and sexual bullying in a Vermont boarding school. The story is told from the perspectives of four characters: teachers Alex Witt (portrayed by Lisa Flanagan) and Finn Ford (Ari Fliakos) and students Gemma (Abby Elliot) and Norman (Michael Crouch). When new teacher Alex discovers that the boys... Read More

This fictionalized account of the real-life journalist, author, and teacher Lafcadio Hearn is told through the voices of the significant women in his life. Narrators Cassandra Campbell, Lisa Flanagan, Adenrele Ojo, and Emily Woo Zeller each perform one section of the story, as told by Hearn's mother, his first wife in America, his second wife in Japan, and his literary agent.... Read More

Narrator Daniel José Molina's affectionate interpretation of Quiñonez's novel rings with truth. Quiñonez should be on everyone's list of authors to know. In his riveting portrait of contemporary life in the projects of Spanish Harlem, he creates distinctive, indelible characters. Fifteen-year-old Taina Flores is pregnant. She claims she's a virgin. Her mother believes her.... Read More

It is difficult to imagine that this extraordinary story could be even better, but Robin Miles's sublime narration accomplishes that feat. In 1958, just before Jamaica's independence, a childless couple adopts an abandoned infant and names him Moshe. His pale skin, mismatched- colored eyes, and hair brand him as unusual in his community, and his racial definition mirrors... Read More

Bear witness to the secretive lives of Gilead's women 15 years after THE HANDMAID'S TALE's conclusion. Narrator Ann Dowd, known for her role on the television adaptation, is formidable as Aunt Lydia. Hearing her resonant narration of diary entries allows listeners to feel the horror of early Gilead, be disturbed by the aunt's complicity, and discover her secrets. Bryce Dallas... Read More

Allyson Ryan impressively navigates the variety of New York characters and accents in this social commentary about the wealthy elite. As Julia, Ryan connects to listeners directly, creating an intimate feeling of conversation. Trendsetter Julia worries that her status is slipping among the fierce moms of the Upper East Side. She plots a way back to the top of her social ladder... Read More

Narrator Brandon Johnson delivers a vibrant portrait of 1980s-1990s St. Louis in this audiobook. The story centers on the interracial relationship between teenagers Octavian and Mina. Years later, each returns home and must confront their sorrows--Octavian has lost his mother to cancer and his brother to drugs, and Mina has reckoned with much instability. Johnson nails the... Read More

Krueger himself introduces and closes this modern-day ODYSSEY, which also serves as a wink at Huck Finn. Narrator Scott Brick brings the story to life as the voice of Odie, an old man who reflects upon his childhood in Minnesota and the life-changing year of 1932. Four children escape, via canoe, from the notorious Lincoln School, a boarding school for Native Americans. Brick... Read More

Dion Graham's powerful narration of this beautifully written story of unconditional love and redemption will move listeners. When refugee Alfred Olyontombo left war-torn Rwanda for France and then the U.S., seeking to bury his past, he never thought it would come back to haunt him. More than 16 years later, his worst nightmare finally catches up with him. Graham's voice and... Read More

Lauren Fortgang narrates this dark yet humorous ghost story. Her dry and borderline gloomy tone shapes Tuesday Mooney, who solves a carefully crafted mystery with the help of an eclectic, thrill-seeking group of secondary characters. The group includes her sarcastic late best friend, who pops up at inopportune times. The delight of Fortgang's narration is her ability to make... Read More

Narrator Julia Whelan adds another standout title to her repertoire with this story told in two time frames, past and present. When a family tragedy destroys Katie Cleary's skiing career, she escapes to Buenos Aires and reinvents herself as Liz Sullivan. She soon develops relationships with other expats who are escaping troubled pasts. One of them is an attractive man with... Read More

Nano Nagle delivers this story with confidence, helping to build tension and atmosphere. In modern-day Norway, Bergljot, long estranged from her family, starts to piece together her past and her struggle to be believed. What starts out as an apparent family feud over the inheritance of two lake cabins turns into something much darker. Nagle's strong characterization ensures... Read More

Narrator Ray Lesniewski skillfully presents modest, low-key Herb Knudson, a truck stop cook who accidentally turns into a vampire after a mosquito bites him while he is living it up in New Orleans. From Trappersville, Wisconsin, Knudson is a polite, nerdy guy who leads an uneventful life consisting of bowling, karaoke, and several oddball friends. In addition to portraying a... Read More

Narrator Hillary Huber never gives into the temptation to soften the edges of Priscilla, a prickly 40-something producer. Listeners may initially feel impatient with Priscilla's focus on beauty, and her belief that women become less appealing as they age. Nonetheless, Huber never rushes Priscilla's more serious reveals as she paces the story to suit the growing tension.... Read More