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The Seventh: A Parker Novel
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Richard Stark, read by Stephen R. Thorne. AudioGO, unabridged, library edition, four CDs, 4.5 hrs., $54.95 ISBN 978-0-7927-8087-8 9780792780878
Originally published in 1966, Stark's novel is a classic noir crime thriller (replete with complex double-crosses within double-crosses) in which antihero Parker is looking to reclaim his share of the cash from a recent stadium robbery and find the man who murdered his woman. In this audio edition, narrator Stephen R. Thorne does an effective job rendering the thrilling game of cat and mouse, particularly Parker's cool handling of the cops working both the murder case and the stadium robbery. Yet contemporary audiences new to the noir genre may find it challenging to stay on top of the plot points, as the action and dialogue often move too quickly for casual listeners to digest. A University of Chicago paperback. (Nov.)
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Devil's Gate: A Kurt Austin Adventure
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Clive Cussler and Graham Brown, read by Scott Brick. Penguin Audio, unabridged, 10 CDs, 12.5 hrs., $39.95 ISBN 978-1-61176-018-7 9781611760187
When Kurt Austin and his NUMA (National Underwater Maritime Agency) Special Operations Team investigate a burning Japanese cargo ship, they find themselves locked in a deadly confrontation with a gang of bloodthirsty pirates intent on plundering the sinking ship. But this encounter is just the beginning of a vast conspiracy that threatens the lives of thousands and may potentially alter the world's balance of power drastically. Once again, Austin and NUMA will have to risk their lives to stop an evil as dark and ruthless as the deepest depths of the sea. Brick's narration is smooth and easy, and he adroitly conveys the book's action and edge-of-the-seat suspense. Additionally, Brick's characterizations are simple but unique. Despite the somewhat over- the-top melodrama of the novel, Brick keeps his storytelling sincere and real, and this audio edition and its listeners are the better for it. A Putnam hardcover. (Nov.)
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Zero Day
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David Baldacci, read by Ron McLarty and Orlagh Cassidy. Hachette Audio, unabridged, 12 CDs, 13 hrs., $39.98 ISBN 978-1-60788-576- 4 978160788576 4
Baldacci's latest novel features a new character that is sure to be a hit with longtime fans and newcomers alike: military investigator John Puller. A seasoned combat veteran, Puller journeys to rural West Virginia to investigate a brutal mass murder. There, he teams with a troubled detective who helps him unravel an expansive conspiracy with grave repercussions for the nation. Ron McLarty and Orlagh Cassidy both turn in winning performance, splitting the narration, with the former handling Puller and the latter haunted and beautiful police officer Samantha Cole. McLarty's rendition of Puller is stern, smooth, and composed, while Cassidy's Cole is dark, mysterious, and troubled. Together, the narrators capture the book's suspense and the protagonists' budding romance, hitting all the high points and displaying a great chemistry. A Grand Central Hardcover. (Oct.)
Then Again
Diane Keaton, read by the author. Random House Audio, unabridged, seven CDs, 8 hrs., $35 ISBN 978-0-307-93401-7 9780307934017
This audio production of Keaton’s memoir delivers something you won’t get in the print edition: Diane Keaton herself. As a narrator, Keaton’s personality, talent, and vulnerability shine through—whether she is describing heartbreak (take that, Al Pacino), revealing a never-before-disclosed struggle with an eating disorder, or acting goofy and showcasing her famously funny side. Keaton’s delivery is conversational throughout, and listeners will feel as if they’re sitting around the kitchen table swapping stories with the Hollywood legend. Most significantly, the performance captures the tenderness of Keaton’s relationship with her mother, Dorothy Keaton Hall. This audio weaves Hall’s journal entries, by turns joyous and painful, with Keaton’s memories from her childhood and adult life. Entertaining and a must for fans. A Random House hardcover. (Nov.)
American Desperado: My Life—From Mafia Soldier
to Cocaine Cowboy to
Secret Government Asset
Jon Roberts and Evan Wright,
read by Mark Bramhall and
multiple narrators. Random House Audio, unabridged, 13 CDs, 16.5 hrs., $45 ISBN 978-0-307-70464-1
9780307704641
Jon Roberts was perhaps the most infamous and powerful man in the United States at one time, but most people have never even heard of him. In this fascinating and scrupulously detailed account, Roberts’s life—from his days as head of the drug cartel in Florida to his time as an assassin in Vietnam—is for the first time revealed to the world. This gripping audio edition is read by a large, gifted cast of narrators, including Mark Bramhall as Roberts, Erik Davies, Mark Deakins, Kirby Heyborne, Thomas Vincent Kelly, and Jonathan McClain. Bramhall’s standout performance is stern and composed, well capturing Roberts’s cool exterior. When an audiobook is this good, listening becomes a compulsive act. A Crown hardcover. (Nov.)
Seal Target Geronimo:
The Inside Story of the Mission
to Kill Bin Laden
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The Inside Story of the Mission
to Kill Bin Laden
Chuck Pfarrer, read by Erik Bergmann. Macmillan Audio, unabridged, eight CDs, 10 hrs., $29.99 ISBN 978-1-4272-1759-2 9781427217592
Drawing upon personal experience, extensive research, and interviews with military personnel, former Navy SEAL Pfarrer charts the events that led SEAL Team Six to assassinate Osama Bin Laden in 2011, traces the origin of the Navy SEALs, and details the training and leadership that ultimately gave SEAL Team Six the skills needed to end a decade-long manhunt. Erik Bergman provides solid narration, reading in a voice that is deep, determined, and slightly raspy—all of which captures the tone of the author’s prose and spirit of his subject matter. Bergman’s delivery also contains a much-needed note of cordiality, which works to balance the author’s assertion that he and other SEALs are a world apart from average Americans. A St. Martin’s hardcover. (Nov.)
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)
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Mindy Kaling, read by the author, with additional voices by B.J. Novak, Mike Schur, and Brenda Withers. Random House Audio, unabridged, four CDs, 4.5 hrs., $30 ISBN 978-0-307-93980-7 9780307939807
In this audio edition of her memoir, Kaling charts the course of her varied life, while offering often hilarious, sometimes poignant tips and words of wisdom mined from her childhood and adult life. Through a series of essays, lists, and anecdotes, Kaling recalls her childhood in Cambridge, Mass.—complete with girl clique dates to the Cheesecake Factory—moving to New York City, her eventual relocation to Los Angeles, and her current job writing for and acting on NBC’s The Office. Kaling’s narration is conversational, entertaining, bubbly, and spirited—and reminiscent of Kelly Kapoor, her character on The Office—and the result is a short but very enjoyable listen. Kaling’s fresh humor, one-liners, and analogies (e.g., “We clung to each other with blind loyalty like Lord Voldemort and his snake Nagini. I of course was Nagini”) make this audio worth listening to a second time and sharing with friends. A Crown Archetype hardcover. (Nov.)
Scratch Beginnings: Me, $25, and the Search
for the American Dream
Adam Shepard, read by Peter Berkrot. Tantor Audio, unabridged, six CDs, 7.5 hrs., $39.99 ISBN 978-1-4526-0503-6 9781452605036
Shepard, a business management major from Merrimack College in Massachusetts, woke up one morning and decided he wanted to be homeless. He would set out with the clothes on his back and a couple of bills in his pocket and try to prove that, without drawing upon his education, it was still possible to become a success in the land of opportunity. Narrator Peter Berkrot delivers a stellar performance, embodying Shepard during each stage of his captivating journey and delivering an intensely intimate performance that is as subtle as it is unabashed and raw. Berkrot’s tone is that of a hardworking man who refuses to be broken down by society no matter what life throws at him. It’s compelling and earnest, hilarious at times, while devastatingly sad at others. Berkrot ably steps into Shepard’s shoes as the author steps into the shoes of the poorest of the poor in America today. A Harper Perennial paperback. (Nov.)
Back to Work:
Why We Need Smart Government for a Strong Economy
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Why We Need Smart Government for a Strong Economy
Bill Clinton, read by the author. Random House Audio, unabridged, five CDs, 5 hrs., $30 ISBN 978-0-307-99069-3 9780307990693
Bill Clinton may be a busier man these days than he was during his time in office. In this compelling ode to all things American, Clinton offers his take on what’s gone wrong in the United States over the past 30 years—everything from the lack of jobs to the mortgage crisis—and how to fix these ills. As the former president so elegantly puts it, “I want American Dream growth.” Clinton’s narrative tone is that of a seasoned orator, and his inherent ability to command an audience is undiminished. His voice bears a certain weight and wisdom that can only develop after a full life spent on the campaign trail and in the White House. Clinton’s America is one that is not as doomed as some would make it out to be, and, as he points out early on, we’re all in this together. A Knopf hardcover. (Nov.)
Seventeenth Summer
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Maureen Daly, read by Julia Whelan. Blackstone Audio, unabridged, library edition, seven CDs, 8.5 hrs., $76 ISBN 978-1-4551-1492-4 9781455114924
In the summer between high school and college, 17-year-old Angie falls in love for the first time with local boy Jack Duluth. Their summer romance blossoms, but separation looms. In the fall, Jack’s family will move out of state and Angie will leave for college. Julia Whelan’s narration hits all the right notes. Her rendition of Angie perfectly conveys the innocence, naïveté, yearning, anxiety, and rapture of a young girl discovering love for the first time. She is equally adept at capturing Jack, with his deeper voice, humble honesty, and “aw-shucks” country twang. Whelan also ably responds to directions in the text, e.g., when Angie’s sister is described as speaking in a falsely bright, overly casual voice, Whelan nails her tone exactly. This audio is as breezy, touching, and enjoyable as a summer romance. Ages 12–up. A Simon Pulse paperback. (Nov.)
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