Duma Key

Renowned horror and dark fiction writer Stephen King returns with his latest thriller, his best story in nearly fifteen years. Narrator John Slattery commands his audience like a seasoned professional, his solid delivery perfectly suited for King's tense writing style. Slattery assumes the persona of Edgar Freemantle, a downtrodden artist who takes to a deserted beach in Florida after losing his arm in a freak accident in Minneapolis. Offering a wide range of complicated emotions, Slattery's performance solidifies him as one of the best narrators in recent memory. His delivery is so believable it's scary--to the point that the audience may feel ashamed for listening in to this man's personal memoir during his time of need. L.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

Starred review from February 25, 2008
King's latest novel is a fantastically eerie tale in line with his best psychological thrillers. John Slattery offers a triumphal performance—his firm, gripping tone perfectly suits this story of the darker side of human memory and creativity. The characters are each so different and complicated, creating a challenge for even the most seasoned narrator. But Slattery does the near-impossible and physically becomes Edgar Freemantle. In fact, the two become so inseparable the listener almost feels guilty listening to his heartfelt confessions. King's vision of Freemantle's fictional personal memoir demands a narrator so believable and solid in his delivery that it seems almost impossible. But Slattery creates a truly moving experience, commanding and truthful. Simultaneous release with the Scribner hardcover (Reviews, Dec., 10).

December 10, 2007
In bestseller King’s well-crafted tale of possession and redemption, Edgar Freemantle, a successful Minnesota contractor, barely survives after the Dodge Ram he’s driving collides with a 12-story crane on a job site. While Freemantle suffers the loss of an arm and a fractured skull, among other serious injuries, he makes impressive gains in rehabilitation. Personality changes that include uncontrollable rages, however, hasten the end of his 20-year-plus marriage. On his psychiatrist’s advice, Freemantle decides to start anew on a remote island in the Florida Keys. To his astonishment, he becomes consumed with making art—first pencil sketches, then paintings—that soon earns him a devoted following. Freemantle’s artwork has the power both to destroy life and to cure ailments, but soon the Lovecraftian menace that haunts Duma Key begins to assert itself and torment those dear to him. The transition from the initial psychological suspense to the supernatural may disappoint some, but even those few who haven’t read King (Lisey’s Story
) should appreciate his ability to create fully realized characters and conjure horrors that are purely manmade.