RED 1-2-3

Narrator Postel supplies a smooth, straightforward, if slightly unenergetic reading of Katzenbach’s smartly plotted thriller. Three women of different ages and backgrounds have only two things in common: they all have red hair and each has received a mysterious letter in the mail informing them that they have been selected to die. The killer identifies himself only as the Big Bad Wolf, but is in fact a rather mundane novelist who is looking to revitalize his writing career—and the stalking and killing of the three redheads should supply him with enough dramatic fodder for a bestseller. But when the redheads connect with each other, it only goes to show that even the best laid plans of the badest wolf can take an unexpected twist. Postel has a polished melodic vocal quality that is easy to listen to. And she reads Karzenbach’s prose in a professional, direct manner that certainly moves the story along at a good pace. However, her overall performance feels a bit languid in its execution—a little more vigor on this reader’s part would have raised the thrill levels of this cleverly conceived novel. A Mysterious hardcover. (Dec.)