SOUR CHERRY

Erifyli Gigante's voice captures the mounting dread that fills this updated gothic fantasy. The story opens with a mother recounting a fairy tale to her son. The story soon turns dark as listeners are treated to a bloody account of Bluebeard, a man who marries--then murders--many women. Gigante delivers the audiobook's creepy mood effectively. Ghosts appear to the wives, admonishing them to leave or seek vengeance. Crops wither and die in the presence of malevolent forces. The mother character switches between the story she is telling and asides to her son about the nature of male violence. Gigante's performance is subtle and eerie as it maintains an appropriate level of unreliability and keeps listeners off-kilter as the tension builds. S.P.C. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2025]