PLAY THE FOOL

Kristen Sieh performs Lina Chern's entertaining mystery with her usual enthusiasm and a talent for characterization, enhancing this debut work. Meet Katie True, a Tarot-reading 20-something who is working a dead-end job in a Chicago suburb. When a bloodied guy happens by with a cell-phone photo of Marley--a tough-talking, worldly gal who is Katie's only friend--shot dead, Katie vows to find out what happened. Sieh delivers Katie's first-person narrative with unemphatic appreciation, letting the character's adjective-laden style shine without overdramatizing the unrestrained metaphors. Male and female characters sound equally believable, with Sieh illuminating the personalities of such disparate characters as sweet but reckless Katie, guarded Marley, and Jamie, an emotionally wounded cop. A totally fun listen. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2023]