THE BUTTERFLY CLUES

By the time Thérèse Plummer thrice enunciates the six distinct syllables “Pen-el-o-pe Mar-rin,” the listener is aware this girl has many issues. Known as “Lo,” she tries to escape the grief of her brother's death by nightly roaming the streets, compulsively stealing and using obsessive behavior to feel safe—but she isn't. One night a bullet narrowly misses her, killing another girl. When Lo acquires the victim's jewelry by chance, she begins a dangerous hunt for the killer. Plummer uses a voice fraught with emotion to portray an intensely lonely girl who is determined to create the human connections necessary to solve the crime. Her narration underscores Lo's obsessive-compulsive tics, which in print nearly overwhelm the mystery but aurally add another layer of tension to this taut drama. M.M.O. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2012]