A FRIEND OF THE FAMILY

Father-and-son tension escalates into a crisis in Grodstein's latest potboiler, which is given added emotional depth in a rigorous interpretation by narrator Rick Adamson. The story revolves around a doctor whose distrust of his best friend's daughter reaches a crescendo when the girl shows up in her 30s to make a play for his son, a young struggling artist. While the story itself may sound like an extended family argument to some, Adamson is superb in drawing out all the characters’ inner torments. His risk-taking performance is so good it will leave listeners wondering if this is just fine acting or if Adamson is personally familiar with this emotional landscape. J.L. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2009]