BREAD & BUTTER

Narrator Elijah Alexander portrays a trio of brothers, each a restaurateur in a small town near Philadelphia, who compete for diners with their culinary and front-of-the-house skills. The novel moves back and forth between the brothers' dynamic personal endeavors and the quotidian activities involved in running a restaurant. Alexander gamely portrays the brothers, but their voices are indistinguishable even as they carry out their fierce rivalry. He also tries a bit too hard with women's voices, producing tones that tend to be cloying. Although the listener craves some mouthwatering details relating to cuisine, few are forthcoming as the chefs are distracted by kitchen dramas and romance. A.W. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2014]