THE HADRIAN MEMORANDUM

Folsom's latest doesn’t quite equal his earlier efforts. Nick Martin, a former LAPD detective and now a landscape architect, is sent to Equatorial Guinea by the U.S. president he saved in Folsom's last adventure. The plot involves a corporate conspiracy to control a massive new oil field. It’s all a bit much: a brutal dictator, greedy corporate executives, a brutal government army, a band of equally brutal rebels, and, naturally, the CIA. The best scene is an exciting chase—thanks to narrator Scott Sowers, listeners will be kept on the edge of their seats. However, throughout most of the reading, Sowers's voice is too nasal and rough, and his foreign accents lack polish. Die-hard Folsom fans will probably want to listen. Others may not. A.L.H. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2010]