Alex Cross's Trial

Framed as a book written by Patterson's iconic detective, Alex Cross, the story centers on the relationship between Cross's great-uncle Abraham and civil rights lawyer Ben Corbett, who teamed up at the turn of the 20th century to fight the Ku Klux Klan in Mississippi. Shawn Andrew's turn as Alex in the introduction is unmemorable, but Dylan Baker, the core narrator, captures listeners with keen emphasis and pacing. Even if his voice tends to be a bit caricatured (his Theodore Roosevelt invokes an old-time radio shtick), his overall efforts—coupled with typical Patterson pacing and prose—will keep listeners hooked. A Little, Brown hardcover. (Aug.)