BLINK OF AN EYE

The potential for peace in the tumultuous Middle East is threatened when a surfer from Southern California named Seth whisks away a Saudi princess named Miriam, who is being used in a political game of chess. Together they fight for survival amid an unlikely backdrop as danger looms around every corner. As fantastic as it all sounds, author Ted Dekker manages to pull it off—in print. But narrator Tim Gregory’s lack of intensity and vocal creativity fail to sell this over-the-top tale on audio. Rather than employing a series of different accents to portray the abundance of international figures, Gregory sticks with the same steady tone throughout and loses the listener’s attention as the story plays out. L.B. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2010]