LAYER CAKE

An unnamed drug dealer and his partner agree to do a favor for drug boss Jimmy Price: find his friend's daughter, "Charlie," who has disappeared into the underside of London. An unnamed narrator tells this story in a nonstop monologue of pure British slang that leaves the American listener reeling. Paul Thornley's narration, with its heavy lower-class British accents, works well with the story's crude language and brutality. When the drug dealers become embroiled in a drug war, the quest for Charlie gets lost in the shuffle. Nevertheless, Thornley manages to keep the action, the vivid violence, and the characters straight as they right wrongs and settle scores. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 06/ JAN 07]