IN THE EVIL DAY (IDENTITY THEORY)

Nicholas Bell does a fine job reading Peter Temple's IN THE EVIL DAY. This is high praise, considering the dizzying number of accents and locales he must deal with. But even all his skills can't save this novel from being a ball of confusion. By the time Bell reaches the end of the book and reveals the answer to the complicated mysteries, it's hard to care. There are too many characters, too much hopping between storylines--too many storylines. Ostensibly, part of the story concerns a journalist who is trying to piece his life together after being held hostage in Beirut. That's an interesting story by itself. Add in mercenaries, a busted black-ops mission, a blackmail scheme, and more--and the head spins. M.S. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 07/ JAN 08]