Audiobook Reviews

Song Yet Sung

by James McBride

Penguin Audio
Audio CD
ISBN# 978-0-14-314291-1
Suggested Retail Price: $39.95 or as low as $2.24 from Amazon.com!

Set in the years just before the Civil War, "Song Yet Sung" tells the story of Liz Spocott, a young runaway slave in Maryland who dreams of a future where slavery is a thing of the past, but where African Americans still face a world of woe. She is captured by a criminal gang led by a brutal woman named Patty Cannon. Liz helps her fellow captives escape, but in addition to Patty Cannon's gang, her "owner" is also after her. As Liz meets other runaways, she shares her troubled visions with them. It all creates a tapestry of hope and fear as the modern world is reflected in the sins of the past.

Read by the talented Leslie Uggams, "Song Yet Sung" takes us on a journey through American history that we'd rather not face. But there is hope in understanding, and author James McBride excels at basing his stories on historical figures in a way that accentuates the issues he presents. It's a mix of tragedy and triumph that shows the best in us as well as the worst.

The Ghost War

by Alex Berenson

Penguin Audio
Audio CD
ISBN# 978-0-14-314285-0
Suggested Retail Price: $39.95 or as low as $1.41 from Amazon.com!

This sequel to Alex Berenson's 2006 novel "The Faithful Spy" brings back CIA agent John Wells. Back in Washington and fully recovered, Wells follows a trail of evidence that takes him to Afghanistan where the Taliban are increasing their attacks and are apparently being financed by a foreign power. He discovers a complex web of intrigue that involves a mole in the CIA has been feeding information to the Chinese which led to the capture of a CIA team sent to extract an agent from North Korea. It's an interesting twist on the current international situation that keeps your heart pounding as the nuclear threat approaches a precipice.

Santa Fe Dead

by Stuart Woods

Penguin Audio
Audio CD
ISBN# 978-0-14-314318-5
Suggested Retail Price: $29.95 or as low as $8.95 from Amazon.com!

This third audiobook from Stuart Woods' thrillers featuring Ed Eagle, the attorney in New Mexico, begins with Ed and his girlfriend Susannah Wilde watching a trial on TV in San Diego in which Ed's ex-wife Barbara is charged with the murder of two people she mistook for Ed and Susannah. Just before the jury returns a Not Guilty verdict, Barabara escapes from custody. Barbara flees into the arms of a newly wealthy attorney whose only attraction for her is his bank account. He gets the escape charges dismissed and soon, incredibly soon, thereafter, they marry.

The hits just keep on coming when a movie producer hires Ed to find his wife and stepson who have been kidnapped. The two turn up murdered, but Ed is disturbed when the producer doesn't seem to feel the loss at all. All he cares about is the inheritance from his wife's estate. Hmm...

You can pick this book apart as much as you like. If you manage to truly suspend your disbelief, you'll enjoy listening to the story read by the talented Michael Kramer who gives life to these odd characters. This is not Stuart Woods' best effort by a long shot. But its just perfect for a summer car trip when you don't want to invest too much intellectual capital in anything more serious than your choice of sunblock.

Lock and Key

by Sarah Dessen

Penguin Audio
Audio CD
ISBN# 0143143050
Suggested Retail Price: $39.95 or as low as $15.81 from Amazon.com!

Several years after she was abandoned by her mother, poor Ruby Cooper is forced by social workers to move in with her sister Cora and her husband Jamie who live in a posh section of town. Their world is completely foreign to Ruby whose life had been a struggle of evading landlords and creditors with her mother and finally, striving to survive on her own. Her new life with her sister brings many emotional issues to the forefront. Cora left home over 10 years ago, so their relationship is sketchy, and Jamie tries his best to help her cope with it all.

The new school she has to attend brings the culture clash into stark contrast. She starts carpooling with Nate, a boy who lives next door. Ruby is wary of Nate's friendship, even though he's being nothing but a good friend. Ruby's life with her mother has led her to avoid being dependent on anyone except herself, so she shuns any close relationships however well-intentioned. She constantly looks for a way to leave Cora's house and be on her own, though she's well aware of just how difficult that will be. Nate's had some bad experiences, too, and so he undrstands Ruby very well.

"Lock and Key" is a poignant story of a young woman whose chances for happiness have been stomped on at every turn until she moves in with Cora. She's been hurt by so many people that she trusts no one and hides her feelings with a fascade of rebellion and anger. The fish out of water aspect of her change in lifestyle with Cora and Jamie are secondary to the central theme of this girl's realization of how everyone needs to love and be loved. Ably read by Rebecca Soler.

Compulsion

by Jonathan Kellerman

Random House Audio
Audio CD
ISBN# 978-0-7393-0723-6
Suggested Retail Price: $44.95 or as low as $25.35 from Amazon.com!

Criminal psychologist Alex Deleware is called on once again to assist LAPD detective Milo Sturgis when a series of women are murdered. The cases don't immediately appear to be related, but the clues start to pile up. It starts with a blood stain in a stolen car and quickly starts to cascade down a path that leads to the well-heeled executives in the biggest financial institutions and paralells with the seemier side of prostitution.

This isn't one of Kellerman's better efforts. The plot sort of meanders its way through the middle of the book before things start to pick up. We see precious little of these characters' lives beyond the job in this novel. The best part of the book is when they solve the mystery of a young boy who had gone missing many years ago. Still, Kellerman fans will want to give this audiobook a listen if only to keep up with Alex Delaware. Ably read by actor John Rubenstein (why do they always leave "Crazy Like A Fox" out of his credits? I loved that show!).