HALF MOON

Immersing oneself in someone else's pain, even a fictional figure, is an emotional experience, and this audiobook sinks listeners deep into a troubled marriage. Malcolm and Jess, voiced by Norbert Butz and Rebecca Lowman, find that love isn't enough to keep them together, or even afloat, in the face of personal and financial challenges. Both performances are solid. Butz and Lowman alternate sections of the story seamlessly, although some transitions are puzzling. Their voices are character appropriate, and dialogue flows believably. Some of the metro New York accents are a little distracting in their intensity, but they don't diminish engagement with the story as a whole, especially when you factor in the element of mystery and suspense. A good summer listen is waiting at the Half Moon. L.B.F. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2023]