THE MURDER ARTIST

A macabre thriller winds its tortuous way through the kidnapping of a journalist's twin 6-year-old sons at a medieval theme park. Some may feel that those who habituate such places get what they deserve. Nonetheless, protagonist Alex Callahan is an obsessed single dad who exhausts every clichéd research tool (he's a journalist, after all) to find his sons long after the authorities have given up. Reader Dick Hill controls the tension skillfully, ramping up the stakes as Callahan haunts magicians' circles and finally voodoo men of the bayous in his search for his sons and their bizarre kidnapper. An entertaining listen, well-adapted for the ear, as long as you can suspend disbelief long enough to enjoy the outré goings-on. D.J.B. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE/JULY 05]