CRIPPLE CREEK

John Turner, ex-cop, ex-con, Vietnam vet, and former therapist, makes his way to Cripple Creek to lick his wounds and keep a low profile. In the second novel featuring Turner, he’s back in law enforcement as a sheriff’s deputy. When a prisoner escapes from the local jail, Turner tracks him to Memphis and runs into problems with the Mob. In spite of frequent flashbacks into Turner’s past life and violent episodes in the present, narrator Alan Nebelthau turns in a low-key, down-to-earth performance. He doesn’t DO character voices, he BECOMES characters. Nebelthau offers a thoughtful, perceptive Turner, whether he’s spending time with his lover, Val, or fighting the corruption of organized crime. Spare, artful prose combined with an honest, understated performance makes this must listening. S.J.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2008]