THE SLEEP OF THE DEAD

The strength of Steven Pacey's performance is its utter unobtrusiveness. Bradby's engaging novel revolves around two interrelated mysteries. Fifteen years earlier, when she was a child, Julia Havilland's friend and neighbor disappeared and the girl's mother was murdered. Not long after, Julia's father, an army officer, was killed during the Falklands War in circumstances that raised troubling questions. Now, new investigations into both events threaten Julia's impressions of her beloved father. Pacey allows Bradby's story to unfold without calling attention to his own technique. Even when employing accents, he reads with a naturalness that never diverts attention from the narrative. His accomplishment here is humility. M.O. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB / MAR 03]