JOE GOLEM AND THE DROWNING CITY

In an alternate 1920s New York, most of the city is underwater, people scrape by as best they can, and an elderly stage magician is abducted by seriously scary beings. His child assistant seeks to save him with the help of the title character, a man made of clay and animated by magic. This outstanding audiobook improves upon its solid print version. If the book is a B-movie horror story, Robert Fass’s narration makes it an Oscar-worthy movie. Fass has a gentle, genial tone that is effectively at odds with the horror tale he is reading. The story is dark, but his voice is light, and the contrast is alternately shocking and soothing. This is a standout performance. G.D. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2013]