WRECKER

Ron Butler strikes the perfect balance as he narrates this middle-grade thriller set in the early days of the Covid pandemic. Valdez Jones VIII, known as Wrecker, is a biracial Key West teen with generations of seafaring ancestors skilled in diving and salvage. When he encounters suspected smugglers in a grounded speedboat, their fortunes intertwine dangerously. Smuggling, murder, and other mayhem feature prominently in the story, but most of Butler's mobsters come off as goons, and Wrecker sounds so kind, confident, and cool that the listener is never truly worried for his safety. Butler is also adept at voicing the female characters--Wrecker's stepsister, an environmental activist who uses a wheelchair, and Willi, Wrecker's mysterious girlfriend. L.T. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2023]