Miller shines in his reading of Valente’s outrageous sci-fi adventure. The book opens as washed up glam-rocker Danesh Jalo of the band Decibel Jones and the Absolute Zeros learns that his band has been chosen to represent the planet Earth in an intergalactic music festival. The hitch is that the festival is quite literally a battle of the bands in which each group must compete for the future of their planet and species. Danesh and his band don’t have to win the competition necessarily, but if they place last, it will be the final riff for planet Earth. For the audio edition, Miller delivers a high-energy performance reminiscent of the radio work of Douglas Adams, author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, which originated as a BBC radio series in the 1970s. Whether he’s providing the voice of a seven-foot-tall ultramarine half-flamingo, half-anglerfish alien in a Southern accent or describing the potential perils of intergalactic sex, where an uncovered cough can lead to unexpected parenthood, Miller handles each outlandish character and situation with a fittingly over-the-top delivery. There is never a dull moment in the audio edition of this wacky novel. A Saga paperback. (Apr.)

Reviewed on 06/22/2018 | Details & Permalink

Sandford’s 28th Lucas Davenport novel, enhanced by an appropriately gruff narration by Ferrone, pits the lawman against an old foe: the beautiful and wealthy sociopath Senator Taryn Grant. Davenport was unable to stop the three-times murderer from winning her senate seat in Silken Prey (2013). Now, as she sets her sights on the presidency, he’s hoping to right that wrong. Assisting him is Senator Porter Smalls, another character from the earlier book, who’s at the top of Grant’s current hit list. Voice actor Ferrone presents Davenport as hardboiled and unyielding on the job, tender with his family, and relaxed with his pals (like the author’s other series lead, Virgil Flowers, who drops by for a cameo). Smalls sounds eager to assist, though understandably nervous and on edge. Grant speaks with almost unrelieved, hissing fury. Assassin Jack Parrish, who works for Grant, is a stoic professional, outwardly unruffled, though a flatness in his delivery suggests he’s not amused by the threats and insults she aims at him. Ferrone’s reading helps make this outing one of the best of the series. A Putnam hardcover. (Apr.)

Reviewed on 06/22/2018 | Details & Permalink

Reader Pinchot adds depth to the large cast of characters in Shepphird’s suspenseful thriller. The story centers on the crew of a low-budget film on a remote California mountain, who are being stalked and murdered by a homicidal archer. Protagonist Eddie Lyons is a cynical, down-at-heels director trying to stay sober while grinding out a made-for-TV western and rekindling a romance with Sheila, the film’s assistant camerawoman. Among the other players, all treated to distinctive voices, are a cheery Italian cinematographer, an aging lead actress, an arrogant character actor, a croaky casting director, assorted chirpy hairdressers, and horse wranglers with Texas drawls. All head for the hills after a visiting deputy policewoman is dispatched by the archer. It’s not long before Eddie and Sheila are the only ones left, and they must play a deadly game of hide-and-seek with the killer. Screenwriter-director Shepphird enhances his nonstop chiller with authentic behind-the-camera activity, while Pinchot works his vocal magic on the author’s gallery of colorful characters. A Blackstone hardcover. (Apr.)

Reviewed on 06/22/2018 | Details & Permalink

Park’s well-paced narration hits all the emotional beats of John’s timely thriller, but her characterizations of the main players are uneven. The novel, set mainly in 2010 North Korea, shifts perspectives among three very different protagonists. Park’s voice is a perfect match for Jenna Williams, a young CIA agent who’s determined to prove her twin sister did not drown in South Korea in 1998, which was the official verdict, but rather was the victim of North Korea’s covert abduction program. Less effective is her unaccented approach to Cho Sang-ho, a North Korean diplomat who winds up in prison after the discovery that his father may have been a traitor, and the third major character, Mrs. Moon, a 60-year-old peasant whose life near the Chinese border changes when she finds an international aid package and begins selling its contents on the black market. Park does add a helpful, subtle shift in tone and accent for several of the minor characters, including Kim Jong Un’s ruthless father, Kim Jong Il. Park effectively conveys the feeling of helplessness of North Koreans and delivers a series of strong performances as John draws his disparate trio toward an action-filled climax that includes the death of Kim Jong Il. Park’s performance is good enough to carry listeners to the end, but the audio edition would be better served with multiple readers. A Crown hardcover. (May)

Reviewed on 06/22/2018 | Details & Permalink

Graham’s low, whispery voice is a perfect match for the protagonist of Mosley’s standalone about a former NYPD detective turned private eye whose police career unraveled after he served nine months in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Joe King Oliver lives in the shadows as he tries desperately to clear his own name while seeking justice for his client, a black journalist who been framed for supposedly killing two cops. Graham is totally convincing as the perpetually scared and often drunk Oliver, who, despite all his sordidness and depression, also manages to sound kind and caring, especially when interacting with his teen daughter. Graham gives her and each of the other secondary characters—Oliver’s violent enemies, his loyal friends, and his ex-wife and love interest, among others—a subtly identifiable voice. Graham, like Mosley, is a master of depicting the complexity of the human spirit. Both author and actor work to enthrall listeners in Oliver’s story. A Mulholland hardcover. (Feb.)

Reviewed on 05/25/2018 | Details & Permalink

With varying degrees of success, three actors lend their voices to the audio edition of Forman’s YA novel. The story centers on three young adults, all hurting in unseen ways, who stumble upon one another in Central Park and become ad hoc family over the course of a single day. The standout performance comes from actor Malhotra, who sounds entirely believable as Harun, a closeted teen who has kept his personal life hidden from his Pakistani immigrant parents for fear of hurting them. He is a diehard fan of up-and-coming singer Freya, the female member of the trio. Actor Lewis is convincing as Freya, whose gravelly speaking voice is feisty and confident, but she falters when providing dreadful accents for Freda’s fast-talking English music manager and Ethiopian father. The third performance, by veteran YA narrator Crouch as Freya’s love interest Nathaniel, is quietly effective as he inhabits an introverted character who opens up as he grows closer to Freya and Harun over the course of the book. There are lovely moments, but the performances never come together to form a cohesive whole. Ages 14–up. A Viking hardcover. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 05/25/2018 | Details & Permalink

Voice actor Pabon’s fluid narration adds clarity to English’s multigenerational true crime saga about the criminal exploits of the Cuban mafia in America in the decades after the Bay of Pigs Invasion. The book follows the career of José Miguel Battle, aka El Gordo, who led the Cuban mob to the United States and launched a hugely profitable numbers racket known as the bolita while wreaking havoc on the streets of Union City, N.J., and Miami. Actor Pabon guides listeners through a confusing landscape of characters with sure-footedness and fluency in both English and Spanish. The book contains numerous accounts of vicious crimes committed by rival bolita outfits; Pabon’s steady, calm reading voice helps to dial down that violence and allow listeners to stay focused on the larger narrative. Pabon’s skillful narration and English’s rich story combine to make this a gripping audiobook. A Morrow hardcover. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 05/25/2018 | Details & Permalink

West’s melodious British baritone smoothly sorts through the complicated plot and numerous characters in Grimes’s 24th Richard Jury mystery. Det. Supt. Richard Jury is hunting for the man who shot and killed American physicist David Moffitt and his wife, Rebecca, in front of London’s Artemis Club, a swanky art galley cum casino. The investigation leads Jury and his team to Africa following a tip from one of the kids in the Filth, a rough-and-tumble pack of kids, who spotted the murderer boarding a plane to Nairobi. West effortlessly transitions from one quirky character to the next. He gives delightful accents to British gentry such as Jury’s sidekick, Melrose Plant, as well as to Plant’s servants, Ruthven and Martha. He’s even credible as the boys and girls of the Filth, particularly 10-year-old Patty, a competent schemer who tails the murderer as far as Nairobi and Tanzania. West is just as convincing when providing the voice of the hip owner of the art galley as he is in rendering the cool and confident cabbie who knows the streets of London backwards and forwards. West’s mastery of Grimes’s wit, twisting plot, and zany characters will keep listeners hooked from start to finish. An Atlantic Monthly hardcover. (Apr.)

Reviewed on 05/25/2018 | Details & Permalink

Noted chef, restaurateur, and public television personality Bastianich brings a natural kindheartedness to the audio edition of her autobiography. The book provides a sprawling account of Bastianich’s life, beginning on the Istrian peninsula, where she was born in February 1947, the same month the region was overtaken by Tito’s Communist regime. At age 11, she moved to a refugee camp in Trieste, Italy, where she lived for two years before relocating permanently to America. In her new country, she was able to turn her love of food into a host of family-run business ventures. Bastianich opts for a straightforward reading and speaks lovingly of farm rituals, including slaughtering livestock, harvesting crops, and­—most importantly—cooking family meals. Bastianich’s tone manages to blend a somber reverence for the challenges of immigrant life with a whimsical, adventuresome spirit. Her serious devotion to food and family is evident throughout this enjoyable audiobook. A Knopf hardcover. (Apr.)

Reviewed on 05/25/2018 | Details & Permalink

Veteran voice actor Petkoff subtly captures the personalities of the six subjects in New York Times reporter Leland’s study of the lives of New Yorkers over the age of 85. Following each of his subjects over the course of a year, Leland counters commonly held assumptions about this growing demographic and addresses the realities of aging. For the audio edition, Petkoff wisely opts outs of full-on characterizations, instead choosing to convey the individual demeanors of the three men and three women who comprise the study. His performance comes alive in the direct quotes and turns of phrases, such as nursing home resident Helen Moses’s feisty refrain “bring me a gin and tonic” when conversing about her active social life and romantic entanglements. Others don’t quite share Helen’s zest for new adventures, and Petkoff adjusts his tone to tackle Leland’s discussions of loneliness, depression, and even the wish to die. Petkoff’s balanced approach nicely complements the complexities of Leland’s research. A FSG/Crichton hardcover. (Jan.)

Reviewed on 05/25/2018 | Details & Permalink