SHADOW PLAY

In this Chicago-based audio thriller, the life of Krista Evans, a physical therapist who hosts a relationship advice show, is disrupted by a deranged follower who threatens violence. Narrator Cynthia Farrell strikes appropriate vocal notes for the live-stream professional. But, overall, the audiobook has too many lengthy renditions of the show's content to hold the average listener's interest. Furthermore, the escalating threats of the anonymous caller are hamstrung by a problem endemic to any audiobook featuring lots of online comments or text/chat content: Delivering the speaker's name or online handle every few sentences during conversational exchanges makes for tedious listening. J.T. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2025]