Consent to Kill

A veteran of more than 800 unabridged novels, Guidall brings his considerable talents to this latest thriller featuring CIA assassin Mitch Rapp. This adventure finds Rapp the target of a billionaire Saudi, who blames Rapp for his son's death and has put a $20-million bounty on the American operative's head. Accepting the offer is a husband and wife assassin team who may be the equal of the seemingly invulnerable Rapp. What follows is an intricate story of death, betrayal and revenge. Guidall's smooth, confident narration and fully developed characterizations make for a first-rate listening experience. He handles Flynn's detailed, and at times long, exposition with ease, while effortlessly switching voices and accents in his portrayal of the book's international cast of characters. He nicely avoids turning the sometimes over-the-top writing into a melodramatic cartoon and keeps the story straightforward and suspenseful. It's a credit to both Flynn and Guidall that this trio of cold-blooded assassins are humanized, which makes the rather surprising ending all the more effective and moving. Simultaneous release with the Atria hardcover (Reviews, Sept. 12). (Oct.)