THUD!

“Where there is trouble, you will always find a troll.” How true. How observant. How Pratchett. In his 34th Discworld novel, Terry Pratchett is at the top of his game, taking on honest cops, vampires, loyalty, fatherhood, and, of course, historic battlefield reenactments to create yet another irreverent, adventure-filled yarn. Gleefully finding both the parody and distinctive voice in each character, Stephen Briggs has a rip-roaring time creating a cornucopia of goofy British Isle accents. Briggs adds the right vocal tension and gravity at the right times as Commander Sam Vimes and the City Watch (a police force that dons “one size doesn’t fit anybody” helmets) attempt to bring the murderer of four subterranean dwarfs to justice before another interspecies game of Thud! becomes all too real. Wonderful fun. B.P. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/NOV 05]