HEART OF THE ASSASSIN

Listeners should consider taking in the first two installments of Ferrigno’s trilogy before listening to this final installment. The futuristic trilogy supposes the fracture of the U.S. into two parts—the Bible Belt versus an Islamic entity. The book is jam-packed with characters, many complex and many more who may be more fully defined in the first two books. A lesser narrator than L.J. Ganser might not have brought this work of social analysis and speculation into focus at all. He deftly handles the score of odd and complex characters, each with a project to consider. Ritchie and his sidekick, Leo, are a tough duo to portray, but Ganser does it remarkably well. The story’s conclusion is eminently satisfying. A.L.H. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2009]