Lady Midnight

Clare returns to her Shadowhunters world with this enjoyable tale set in present-day Los Angeles. Shadowhunter Emma Carstairs must join forces with the faeries to solve a gruesome series of murders of humans and faeries. The murders have similarities to the murders of Emma’s own parents many years ago, and Emma and her partner, Julian, set out on a supernatural journey to discover secrets of her past, avenge her parents’ deaths, and dispatch the killers before anyone else turns up dead. Voice actress Baccarin chooses a simple, straightforward reading for the audio edition. Her voice is very clear and articulate, and she reads with some expression, but she does little to differentiate the characters’ voices, and she reads the text in a neutral tone, never getting overly emotional. This is a perfectly serviceable narration style for the plot, which moves along speedily, but Baccarin does not really add anything of depth to the story. Ages 14–up. A S&S/McElderry hardcover. (Apr.)