THE DOUBLE BIND

Susan Denaker guides Bohjalian heroine Laurel Estabrook through a progressively tangled web. After Laurel is viciously attacked while biking in Vermont, she withdraws from life and devotes herself to working in a homeless shelter. There she meets an old man with a box of photos that depict the characters from THE GREAT GATSBY, as well as Laurel herself--on that infamous biking road. Denaker makes Laurel so sane and convincing that the explosive climax is never tipped off by her voice or inflections. Denaker is not as strong with the minor players, however; some come off as caricatures. At the end, a new voice playing the novel's psychiatrist comments on Laurel's story and socks us with the shocking conclusion. His voice is powerful but is not credited. M.T.B. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 07]