29 SECONDS

Katherine Littrell's exceptional performance transforms this dialogue-rich #MeToo novel into an audiobook that shows how a skilled narrator can create memorable and, at times, contemptible, characters that raise a book to a higher level. At the center of this story are Sarah, a young professor who is trying to move up the academic ladder, and Alan Hawthorne, the charismatic department chair and TV personality whose lascivious sexism dominates every interaction he has. Hawthorne threatens to destroy Sarah's career unless she succumbs to his advances. At the same time, Sarah thwarts the attempted kidnapping of a young child whose appreciative father, as a thank you, offers to make one person disappear from her life. Sarah reluctantly agrees. From there, Littrell's presentation goes from great to greater. She imbues Hawthorne with nuanced levels of creepiness, while allowing Sarah's emerging confidence to subtly develop. D.J.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2020]