CONFESSIONS ON THE 7:45

Vivienne Leheny’s narration captures not only each character’s outward persona but also her true self in this captivating thriller. Seatmates Selena and Martha swap confessions during a stalled train ride. Selena fears her husband is sleeping with the nanny. Martha is having an affair with her boss. When the nanny disappears, Selena remembers that encounter, which leads to a shocking unraveling of lies. Martha’s voice slithers like a snake; her whisper is dark with malice, contrasting with Selena’s anxiously repeated worries. Leheny highlights vivid descriptions with her nuanced performance: a curious inflection for a boy’s wonderings, a heavy sigh of defeat, shouts between brothers. Secret texts are revealed in a menacing voice, a far cry from how the sender sounds in dialogue. The contrast emphasizes people’s duplicitous natures. A.L.C. 2021 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2020]