THE BIRTHDAY GIRL

Tony Freeman, arms manufacturer, is kidnapped while on an unauthorized business trip to Sarajevo. Among his Bosnian Muslim captors is 13-year-old Mersiha, whose experiences at the hands of Christian Serbs have turned her into a killer with a Kalashnikov. After Freeman is rescued, he locates the girl, brings her to the U.S., and adopts her. Martyn Read's plummy tones vibrate with assurance and expressiveness, creating mostly believable multidimensional characters. Unfortunately, Read misses the mark when delivering the voice of Mersiha. As the now 16-year-old central figure, his voice becomes high-pitched, sniveling, and squeaky—it simply doesn't fit the angry, abused, teenaged terrorist. Even so, this is a worthwhile listen, a thriller that blurs the line between good and evil. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/ MAY 08]