Mr. Fox

Set primarily in 1930s New York, Oyeyemi’s latest novel follows the adventures of a famous novelist, Mr. Fox, with a penchant for murdering his heroines. His life and work are transformed by the discovery of his muse, Mary. But when Mr. Fox’s wife, Daphne, becomes convinced her husband is having an affair, the novelist finds himself forced to make a very difficult decision. Carole Boyd’s narration is playful, well paced, and utterly enjoyable. She captures the spirit of the fantastical prose and creates restrained but effective voices—employing several pitch-perfect accents and dialects—for Oyeyemi’s characters. One of the many highlights is Boyd’s rendition of the rich American teenager to whom she lends a wonderfully flat, bored tone. A Riverhead hardcover. (Nov.)