CYPRESS GROVE

A retired homicide cop from Memphis, now living in a cabin outside a small Southern town, is asked to help investigate the ritualistic murder of a drifter. The main plot practically captures the listener unawares amid the low-key prose that recounts the cop's own back story of a shooting and imprisonment. This plot's complexity is not easily rendered in audio because of the frequent flashbacks. Alan Nebelthau provides a good narration, but his delivery of the rich story line is limited because of the constant movement in time and place without adequate transitions. More character voicing would certainly have helped. The frequent tracks allow the listener to sort out the confusion that sometimes arises by making it easy to back up. Overall though, this is still a good listen for mystery, cop, and crime-story lovers. M.C. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2008]