cover image Stay Close

Stay Close

Harlan Coben, read by Scott Brick. Brilliance Audio, unabridged, nine CDs, 11 hrs., $36.99 ISBN 978-1-4418-9536-3

Coben's latest stand-alone thriller, a sophisticated look at the intersections of three people leading lives of quiet desperation, is vividly brought to life by Scott Brick's skillful, subtle narration. With multiple protagonists, it's essential that the narrator give each of them a distinct voice, and Brick rises to the occasion. He is especially good at matching his pacing to the mood of the text. With a single line of narration, e.g., "With a heavy sigh, Detective Broome approached the doomed house and rang the bell," Brick makes the listener feel what is implied: the slow tread of the policeman, obsessed by an unsolved disappearance and weary from the guilt he carries over his continued failure to bring closure to the family of the missing man. Coben takes his time setting the stage for the drama that will unfold, and Brick's unhurried approach is a perfect match for the material. A Dutton hardcover. (Mar.)