Fidelity

Perry's tale of murder and love in various forms-genuine, unrequited, illicit and perverse-begins with the killing of a philandering private eye, then concentrates on the effect of the death on his adoring wife, the oddly conflicted paid assassin, and his employer, a wealthy, insane child molester. As the focus hops from one to the other, Michael Kramer marks the changes with subtle delivery shifts. He picks a higher pitch for the widow, a cautious but determined approach for the hit man, and a smooth, almost velvety vocal for the smug, arrogant pedophile. Perry is that rare combination of storyteller and stylist and Kramer matches him with an unforced, well-modulated, smartly paced rendition that lulls listeners along until, suddenly, a glass door is shattered and guns are firing. A Harcourt hardcover (Reviews, Apr.7).