cover image The 500

The 500

Matthew Quirk, read by Jay Snyder. Hachette Audio, unabridged, eight CDs, 9.5 hrs., $29.98 ISBN 978-1-61113-225-0

Quirk's debut thriller follows Mike Ford, fresh out of a prestigious law school, but plunged into a complex maze of Hitchcockian deceit far beyond his experience. In this irresistable audio edition, narrator Jay Snyder manages to get listeners to root for Ford%E2%80%94who just started work at the Washington consulting firm the Davies Group%E2%80%94making him sound like an average, likable guy despite his elite credentials and ultra-powerful job. Snyder's even-keeled, understated portrayal captures the essence of Ford, and his narration is a delight to listen to: well paced, clean, engaging, and shifting easily between moments of exposition and drama. And if some of the voices Snyder creates for the book's many characters could be more distinct, this entertaining audio production is no worse for it. A Reagan Arthur hardcover. (June)