Audio

Stressful love/hate relationships simmer in the ranks of the Troubleshooters and their U.S. Navy SEAL buddies in RITA® Award winner Brockmann's 13th series entry (after All Through the Night). But when shots are fired, they all direct their attention instead to the neo-Nazi bad guys picking off their agents. Written in third person and told from multiple points of view, the somewhat confusing and slow-to-unfold story benefits from having two readers. Patrick G. Lawlor and Renée Raudman (co-narrators, Don't Look Down) successfully use accents, pacing, and tone to bring the large cast of characters into focus. Public libraries with a Brockmann following will want to purchase.—Juleigh Muirhead Clark, John D. Rockefeller Jr. Lib., Colonial Williamsburg Fdn., VA

Dickens's preeminent and most overtly political novel, set against the backdrop of the French Revolution, radiates with relevance 150 years after its initial publication through two-time Audie® Award winner Simon Vance's exceptional reading. Vance's ability to embody myriad voices and seamlessly transition between narration and alternating dialects and accents accentuates the linguistic and narrative vivacity of the text. Because of both the novel's canonized status and Vance's meticulous interpretation of it, recommended for all libraries, particularly those emphasizing the English classics. [With bonus PDF ebook; audio clip available through www.tantor.com. A musical version of Tale, with words, lyrics, and book by Jill Santoriello, opens on Broadway this month.—Ed.]—Christopher Rager, Pasadena, CA

This 13th novel by National Book Critics Circle Award winner Erdrich is set in the fictional town of Pluto, ND, and takes place following the 1911 massacre of five members of a white family. The reading is exceptional: actress Kathleen McInerney gives each of the female characters a distinctive, identifiable voice, while actor Peter Francis James takes the character of Judge Coutts from boyhood through old age with an amazing change in tone and richness. Highly recommended for public and academic libraries. [With tracks every three minutes for bookmarking; the Harper hc, released in May, received a starred review, LJ 2/15/08.—Ed.]—Deb West, Gannon Univ. Lib., Erie, PA

Graphic Audio produces full-cast dramatizations replete with sound effects and musical scores. In this, the first of Grant's two comics-based novels (the second being Last Sons), Batman and the heroes of the Justice League are spurred into action when an ancient pyramid unleashes a torrent of supernatural energies. The reading by Audie® Award winner Richard Rohan, who previously narrated the New York Times best-selling Atkins for Life, resounds with the kind of deep-voiced import usually reserved for action-adventure movie trailers. Though the near-constant jangling sound effects can be a bit much, the overall listening experience is, as the publisher promises, cinematic. Recommended where comics and graphic novels do well. [Audio clip available through www.graphicaudio.net.—Ed.]—Raya Kuzyk, Library Journal

In her third novel (after Baker Towers), New York Times best-selling author Haigh weaves a realistic contemporary tale centering on a 12-year-old girl with Turner syndrome and her relationship with her fractured family. Twenty years into the future, a trip to Cape Cod and down memory lane brings the family its first wave of honest and open communication and maybe even a glimmer of hope. Actress/narrator Jennifer Van Dyck brilliantly captures the unique yet believable characters. Recommended for all public libraries and an obvious choice for book discussion groups. [Audio clip available through www.harperaudio.com; watch the book trailer at oogop.notlong.com; the Harper hc was "highly recommended," LJ 4/1/08.—Ed.]—Valerie Piechocki, Prince George's Cty. Memorial Lib., Largo, MD

Lustbader's third continuation of Ludlum's popular espionage series (after The Bourne Legacy and The Bourne Betrayal) finds Jason Bourne trying to unravel the terrorist plot of a previously unknown Muslim group. Audie® Award nominee Jeremy Davidson does an outstanding job creating distinctive voices for the multitude of American, British, and Eastern European characters, but their sheer number and the constant switching of settings will test listeners' attention spans, and the musical cues employed during the action sequences are cheesy. Nevertheless, recommended for public libraries owing to the series' continuing popularity.—Michael Adams, CUNY Graduate Ctr. Lib.

Mina's third Paddy Meehan mystery takes place in 1990, nearly a decade after the events of The Dead Hour. In it, Paddy, now a single mom and well-known newspaper columnist, plunges into a search for answers when an old friend is murdered. Mina's sharp prose creates emotional intensity and brings Glasgow to life. While series fans may be disconcerted by the introduction of a new reader (Heather O'Neill voiced the earlier books), Jane MacFarland's soft Glaswegian accent and smooth performance do much to enhance this well-crafted novel. Highly recommended for all fiction collections. [Discs indexed inaudibly at the start of each chapter and at regular intervals throughout; audio clip available through www.bbcaudiobooksamerica.com.—Ed.]—Janet Martin, Southern Pines P.L., NC

O'Flynn's debut novel begins with deceptive lightness as a junior detective operates within her own preadolescent world of intrigue, but the author smoothly reconfigures numerous old disappearances into a solid mystery. The story uses place as effectively as character, with a megamall serving as the backdrop for searches past and present. Narrator Catherine Skinner (Beginner's Greek) moves easily through time and between genders, making this short mystery both haunting and realistic. Highly recommended for mystery audiences. [Discs indexed inaudibly at the start of each chapter and at regular intervals throughout; audio clip available through www.bbcaudiobooksamerica.com; the Henry Holt hc, released in June, was long-listed for the Booker Prize.—Ed.]—Joyce Kessel, Villa Maria Coll., Buffalo

In his second YA-intended crossover series (after "Maximum Ride"), Patterson reunites with Ledwidge, with whom he coauthored Quickie, an LJ Best Audiobook of 2007. The two here write of the adventures of a 15-year-old boy intent on avenging his parents' murder by aliens. Though Heroes star Milo Ventimiglia's reading is well executed—his self-deprecating tone conveying all the insecurities of teenagehood—his talented reading can't save this work from its substandard prose, flat characters, absurd plot twists, and holes large enough to fly an alien battle cruiser through—flaws all exacerbated in audio. Not recommended. [Also recorded by Hachette Audio. 4 CDs. unabridged. ISBN 978-1-60024-200-7. $22.98; audio clip available through library.booksontape.com.—Ed.]—Jodi L. Israel, MLS, Salt Lake City

In Edgar® Award winner Rendell's third Inspector Wexford mystery, originally published in 1967 as A New Lease of Death, a clergyman tries to determine whether his future daughter-in-law harbors the same homicidal tendencies as her father. Actor, BBC broadcaster, and veteran Wexford interpreter Nigel Anthony is splendid at revealing the social distinctions so important to Rendell's indelibly painted middle- and working-class characters. The leisurely pace of his reading allows all the psychological nuances to sink in. Highly recommended for public libraries and academic collections at institutions where Rendell is studied. [Discs indexed inaudibly at the start of each chapter and at regular intervals throughout; audio clip available through www.bbcaudiobooksamerica.com.—Ed.]—Michael Adams, CUNY Graduate Ctr. Lib.

Booker Prize winner Rushdie's (Midnight's Children) complex new novel centers on 16th-century Mughal emperor Akbar the Great and a mysterious European traveler who arrives in his court with an extraordinary story to tell. While the print edition received excellent reviews, this audio version, with Bombay-born movie and television actor Firdous Bamji's slow and deliberate reading, is less successful. Recommended with reservations for larger public libraries where Rushdie and literary fiction have followings. [With tracks every three minutes for bookmarking; the Random House hc was "highly recommended," LJ 5/15/08.—Ed.]—Mary Knapp, Madison P.L., WI

In New York Times best-selling author Silva's eighth Gabriel Allon thriller (following The Secret Servant, an LJ Best Audiobook of 2007), the master Israeli spy and talented art restorer must stop a former KGB colonel-turned-wealthy capitalist from selling Russia's most sophisticated weapons to Middle Eastern terrorists. Reader Phil Gigante (The Secret Servant) does an excellent job with the dialog-heavy text, effectively using different accents to bring the international cast of characters to life. Highly recommended for public libraries. [Audio clip available through library.brillianceaudio.com; the Putnam hc, released in July, was a #1 New York Times best seller and received a starred review, LJ 7/08.—Ed.]—Ilka Gordon, formerly with Marcell Community Coll., Cleveland

New York Times #1 best-selling author Slaughter (Faithless) unforgettably describes both major and minor characters in a few deft sentences in this audio original novella. As narrator, Wayne Knight, who played Newman on the hit show Seinfeld, is laugh-out-loud hilarious. He gives Martin, the nebbish title character, a Forest Gump-like drawl and makes Martin's mother—who croaks, spits, schemes, and yells—sound like Mammy Yoakum on acid. Welcome, Wayne Knight, to the noble order of audiobook narrators soon to have a group of devoted followers ("Knighties?"); we await your next reading. All public libraries, big and small, should acquire. [Audio clip available through www.bbcaudiobooksamerica.com.—Ed.]—Joseph L. Carlson, Vandenberg Air Force Base Lib., Lompoc, CA

In this welcome rerelease of three-time Edgar® Award winner Westlake's 1969 novel, Chet Conway, a New York cabby with a taste for betting, gets stuck in the middle of a mob war. This is a simple world, one in which the erudite, bumbling, wise-cracking protagonist can end up with both the money and the girl. British actor/narrator Stephen Thorne voices Conway just right, making him immensely likable. Recommended for public libraries and other recreational fiction collections. [Discs indexed inaudibly at the start of each chapter and at regular intervals throughout; audio clip available through www.bbcaudiobooksamerica.com.—Ed.]—I. Pour-El, Des Moines Area Technical Coll., Boone, IA

On Memorial Day 2007, award-winning CBS foreign correspondent Dozier's life changed forever. She and her crew were covering a routine patrol in Baghdad when they were hit by a car bomb that left four people dead and Dozier with massive injuries to her legs and head. Here, she recounts her struggle to stay alive, her survivor's guilt, and her road to recovery. An engaging and compelling book whose delivery is strengthened by Dozier's experience as a journalist and radio broadcaster; recommended for all public libraries. [Audio clip, author interview, and CBS video footage taken moments after the blast available through www.tantor.com.—Ed.]—Emma Duncan, Brampton Lib., Ont.

Acclaimed biographer and prize-winning Lincoln scholar Epstein (Lincoln and Whitman) here takes an in-depth look at Abraham Lincoln and wife Mary Todd's multifaceted relationship, from their courtship to his 1865 assassination. Using new resources, he breaths fresh life into their story, creating a dense and highly complex but enjoyable read. The steadily paced delivery by actor/narrator Adam Grupper (The Google Story) will keep listeners engaged. Recommended. [Discs indexed inaudibly at the start of each chapter and at regular intervals throughout; audio clip available through www.bbcaudiobooksamerica.com.—Ed.]—Scott R. DiMarco, Mansfield Univ. Lib., PA

Journalist Sheff has written a moving, heartbreaking account of his son's addiction to methamphetamines and its impact on those around him. The CD gets a little tedious during the lengthy and detailed scientific descriptions of how meth affects addicts' brains and psyches, but Tony® and Obie® Award-winning actor Anthony Heald does an excellent job with the reading, his voice and intonation conveying the pain and discouragement Sheff must have felt over his son's condition. Recommended for the nonfiction collections of public libraries. [With tracks every three minutes for bookmarking; audio clip available through www.blackstoneaudio.com; the Houghton Mifflin hc, released in February, was an LJ Best Seller.—Ed.]—Ilka Gordon, formerly with Marcell Community Coll., Cleveland

Sontag's sharply written debut memoir about growing up in a dysfunctional family will draw comparisons to Jeannette Walls's The Glass Castle and Augusten Burroughs's work. A gloomy yet ultimately hopeful story, it should resonate with survivors of abuse and may well inspire YA listeners trying to cope with abusive situations. Nicole Poole (www.nicolepoole.com), one of the newer narrators in the Recorded Books cadre, offers a restrained, nuanced performance that keeps this first-person account of astonishing psychological damage from falling into hyperbole. Recommended for public libraries with strong biography/memoir audiobook collections. [With tracks every three minutes for bookmarking.—Ed.]—Beth Farrell, Portage Cty. Dist. Lib., Garrettsville, OH

With this exciting look at the life of a modern-day veterinary surgeon, BBC Audiobooks America turned a great book into an even more enjoyable listening experience by smartly casting Simon Vance (www.simonvance.com) as the reader. Vance's British accent is perfect for the protagonist veterinarian, and he narrates the other characters with equal skill. Highly recommended for all public libraries. [Discs indexed inaudibly at the start of each chapter and at regular intervals throughout; audio clip available through www.bbcaudiobooksamerica.com; the Broadway hc was "recommended for all libraries," LJ 2/1/08.—Ed.]—Theresa Connors, Arkansas Tech Univ. Lib., Russellville