COLD CITY

The first novel of a trilogy about the early days of a character named Repairman Jack is an exciting whirlwind of adventures involving a child slavery ring, cigarette smuggling, Mafia shakedowns, Muslims with insidious plans, con men, and a love story. If that sounds like too many plots, it is. The novel ends with no resolution for any of them. Cruel, but it guarantees the sale of the next two parts of the series. Narrator Alexander Cendese gruffly performs the book, which details Jack's early years as an adventurer. His accents get a workout--Arab, Southern, German, Puerto Rican, and over-the-top Jewish--and all sound authentic. It's impossible to turn off, but the unsatisfying ending is a disappointment. M.S. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2013]