THE FRIEND Klara Walldeen, Book 3

In this chilling audiobook, one man's choices during a clandestine affair lead to danger for those trying to help him. Narrator Josh Bloomberg voices Jacob Seger, a fledgling Swedish diplomat assigned to war-torn Beirut. The tentative Jacob quickly finds himself in over his head in his relationship with the exotic Yassim, whom Jacob falls for despite her mysterious disappearances for "work." Narrator Hillary Huber portrays sharp-witted Klara Waldeen, a recovering alcoholic who, with her lover, George, gets yanked into Jacob's orbit while investigating why a friend has been arrested as a terrorist. Bloomberg and Huber ably showcase the overwhelming confusion of the trio who are drawn together while being hunted by shadowy figures. What results is a thought-provoking thriller that holds up a mirror to today's rampant global paranoia. D.E.M. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2019]