The King of Lies

These days most novels are performed, not narrated. The skillful actors who have made audiobooks their art form take on multiple voices—male and female, old and young. Chandler's careful reading is generally disappointing. His lack of vocal range is all too obvious. Lawyer and murder suspect "Work" Pickens sounds exactly like his female nemesis, Detective Mills. Work's wife, Barbara, could be his brother. Oddly, the homeless Max, a minor player in this thriller, has the most distinctive voice. Another problem is that Chandler's performance is devoid of the lovely North Carolina lilt, which is an essential component of this novel, much as John Grisham's South looms large in his characters' psyches. Too frequently, Chandler seems to suffer from dry mouth as his tongue separates audibly from the roof of his mouth. Water, please! On a more positive note, Chandler reads Hart's delicious similes and clever phrasing with slow elegance. Hart's writing sparkles throughout, and this is a compelling story, one the reader won't turn off, despite a performance that doesn't matches the brilliance of the novel. Simultaneous release with the St. Martin's Minotaur hardcover (Reviews, Jan. 16). (May)