The Race

With aviation in its infancy, a newspaperman is sponsoring a cross-country competition featuring flying machines and a hefty prize. But when someone ends up dead and the husband of one of the racers is implicated, chief investigator Isaac Bell of the Van Dorn Agency is called in to investigate. Scott Brick does his best with what he’s given, but the book’s pretentiously reverent tone, paper-thin characters, and stilted dialogue conspire to undermine this audio production. From his extensive audiography and numerous awards, listeners will realize that Brick—a veteran Cussler narrator—is a much better performer than this particular production demonstrates. The Race simply doesn’t do its narrator—or its author—justice. A Putnam Adult hardcover. (Sept.)