SEMANA SANTA

Sean Barrett offers a robust and atmospheric interpretation of bestselling author David Hewson's recently reissued first novel. SEMANA SANTA takes place in the lively streets of a southern Spanish city during Holy Week. Amid tourists and worshippers, a murderer masquerading as a hooded penitent begins killing chosen victims, using the darts, lances, and final stab to the heart symbolic of bullfighting. When visiting academic Maria Gutierrez is pressed to help the understaffed detective bureau solve the crimes, she’s targeted by the killer. Barrett creates beautifully modulated personalities for all the characters. Instead of Spanish accents, he chooses to shade their personas with representative British accents. It works perfectly, increasing our understanding of the book's subtleties. Hewson's many fans will be delighted. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2008]