CALLISTO

The main character of Krol's quirky novel is an unlikely candidate for heroism. Odell Deefus, who is naïve and of limited intellect, stumbles through danger, murder, treachery, and deceit to prevail against some of the more ridiculous aspects of the war on terror. In the process, he reveals some of the very real terrors engendered by society's response to these fears. Seasoned performer Curt Skinner catches Odell's essence with a naturalness that gives all his gaffes and malapropisms authenticity without slipping into self-conscious parody. Skinner does an equally convincing job with Krol's other colorful characters, giving the listener a black-humored romp through a truly dark subject. M.O.B. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2009]