FIRST PERSON

Flanagan's novel comes to life because of narrator David Linski's ability to transform its characters into people listeners can relate to. The audiobook focuses on poverty-stricken writer Kif Kehlmann, who agrees to ghostwrite the memoir of Siegfried Heidl, a criminal with a history of fraud and other crimes. Linski is adept at gently exposing the internal conflict that arises as Kehlmann tries to determine whether he is writing a story, becoming part of it, or being manipulated in other ways. Linski does so using a deft mix of inflection and tone that work to bring out Kehlmann's varying emotions and create a fascinating experience for listeners. D.J.S. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2018]