THE ROAD TO DALTON

Patricia Shade gives an engaging performance of this debut novel set in a small town in northern Maine. Shade moves easily through a variety of points of view--the book feels more like a collection of interconnected stories than a novel--but she keeps her tone even throughout, giving the story some cohesion. Her lively narration is welcome as the book itself sometimes drags, relying a bit too heavily on predictable tropes: a closeted teen, a young mother with an abusive husband, a heroic rookie cop. Despite Shade's ability to capture an array of ages, genders, accents, and attitudes, the characters often feel two-dimensional. This is an easy, if not especially compelling, listen. L.S. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2024]