SHALIMAR THE CLOWN

The former U.S. Ambassador to India is murdered outside his daughter's apartment in Los Angeles by an assassin known as Shalimar the Clown. The political situation in Kashmir and the betrayal of Shalimar by his Hindu bride are mirrored in interconnected narratives. Aasif Mandvi rises to the challenge of a complicated story that travels the globe. Locations include Strasbourg under the rule of the Germans in WWII, France, India, Pakistan, and the U.S. Who knows if every accent is perfect? The important thing is that the myriad characters of varying nationalities own plausible, distinctive voices. Particularly effective is Mandvi's emotional understatement in the face of the escalating violence. A.B. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/ MAY 06]