THE NEXT RIGHT THING

Southern California, drugs, pornography, and murder are all the elements needed to beguile the listener into thinking this audiobook is a typical whodunit. Instead, the author surprises with a framework built on Alcoholics Anonymous, recovery, relapse, and reconciliation as the protagonist struggles to discover why his mentor in AA perishes from a heroin overdose. Paul Boehmer’s voice is well suited to the story. His steady rumble hits the emotional outbursts perfectly, grabbing the turmoil and anger of the protagonist and hurling them at the listener. Female voices are credible with Boehmer’s use of a slight lift in tone. During several scenes with multiple characters and fast-moving, charged dialogue characterizations suffer. Still, overall, Boehmer’s authoritative voice strengthens this story of one man’s search for redemption. M.L.R. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2012]