The Tenth Circle

Picault's newest bestseller moves to a deeper level of drama in the audiobook version of this tale of heartbreak and revenge. When Trixie Stone tells her father she's been raped by a former boyfriend, her family's lives begin to unravel. Daniel Stone slides easily back to the angry violence of his youth, while his wife, Laura, despairs over both her affair and their daughter's agony. The combination of Laura's study of Dante, Daniel's comic book artistry and Trixie's grief makes for a multilevel, multihued tale. Narrator Monda does a good job of giving unique voice to the characters through the complex narrative, and her voice is easy to listen to throughout. Technical issues, such as breaks in flow where a new recording was patched in, shouldn't detract from the overall power of both Picault's story and Monda's unabridged reading. Simultaneous release with the Atria hardcover. (Reviews, Dec. 5).