SECOND LIFE

Narrator Susan Lyons attempts to infuse energy into Watson's plodding thriller about a married woman who cheats on her husband with a stranger she meets online. When the affair turns ugly, Lyons ramps up the intensity of her performance to mirror the protagonist's desperation. However, the barely audible differences between characters in Lyons's delivery of dialogue, combined with the author's limited use of dialogue tags, make conversations difficult to follow. Additionally, the plot drags, creating, at best, apathy for the main character. Those reaching the story's conclusion will appreciate Lyons's delivery of the plot twists but aren't likely to care about the outcome. J.F. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2015]