THE ISLAND

From the opening lines, narrator Mela Lee draws listeners into this thriller through her tone, pace, and modulated voice. The action-packed plot centers on a newly formed family: Tom, the recently remarried widower; Heather, the younger new wife; and Tom’s children, Olivia, and Owen. The family travels to Australia for Tom’s medical conference. Tom and Heather see this as a great opportunity to bond as a new family, while the kids are having none of it. Lee masterfully voices most of the family members and the Australian and Aboriginal people the family encounters on the way. Her only miss may be Heather’s voice, which sounds too immature. Beyond that, listeners will be totally engaged with this nonstop thriller. E.Q. 2023 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2022]