THE SILENT ASSASSIN

A ceremony at the White House to return "trophy skulls" to Vietnam is interrupted by a bomb. The president's body disappears--has he been killed? This is just one of the questions facing Alex Blake, a military pathologist who is restoring the skulls, and whose father was killed in Vietnam. Coleen Marlo's rich voice compels listeners to stay tuned to a quasi-believable plot. The story adapts well to audio--Asian accents and African-American intonations are credible, as well as the dialogue of a hearing-challenged adolescent, an emphysema victim, and a nearly strangled Alex. Marlo confidently portrays Alex's crusty colonel of a boss and glides through tongue-twisting Vietnamese names and places. Several suspenseful scenes culminate in a surprise ending. J.B.G. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 07]