The Hidden

Pronzini, best known for his praise-worthy 40-year-old Nameless Private Eye series, this time opts for an oddly bland stand-alone thriller that benefits considerably from Nick Sullivan's dramatic interpretation. The plot involves a sad sack with a weak heart named Jay Macklin who tries to rekindle his stone-cold marriage with a romantic getaway—where he and his unenthusiastic wife encounter a torrential storm, a power failure in their not so cozy cottage, a neighboring couple at each other's throats, and the Coastline Killer, a nutjob ex-Army sniper bumping off those he believes are disrespecting the environment. With intensity, sensitivity, and a demonstration of vocal dexterity, Sullivan adds needed depth to the author's shallow characterizations. There are even moments in which he moves so effortlessly from voice to voice that the reading takes on the aspect of a classic radio drama with a full cast. A Walker hardcover. (Nov.)