No One in the World

Cobi Winslow's life is complicated. Just before his adoptive parents are killed, he discovers he has a twin brother. He finds Eric in prison just days from release. Cobi, who is gay, is involved with a closeted state senator, but in order to inherit the family fortune, he must marry a woman. His sister is determined to find him a suitable wife in order to keep control of the family business. Narrator Alan Bomar Jones has the unenviable task of turning this spicy soap opera into something believable. He is reasonably successful at creating a myriad of character--from the wealthy siblings to the desperate ex-con who is trying to pay off criminal debts to stay alive. However, the narrative surrounding the dialogue sounds wooden. A.B. 2012 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

July 18, 2011
Cobi Winslow is a powerful attorney who, having been adopted by a wealthy family, has lived a privileged life. However, discoveries of a long-lost, incarcerated twin brother, Eric, and a distressing clause in his parents' will set in motion a series of events that will threaten everything he has known. To further complicate the story, Cobi struggles to keep his homosexuality a secret for the sake of the family business, his reputation, and that of his lover Tyler, a state senator. When Cobi reunites with his brother, they bond, but Cobi's secret life leaves him vulnerable to blackmail by Eric's former cellmate, Blac, who has ten days to pay off a drug debt or else be killed. If this sounds convoluted, that's because it is. Harris' posthumous final novel, a collaboration with RM Johnson, is a mishmash of clichés, clunky plot devices, and improbable interactions among flat and unbelievable characters. As a result, the story, which admirably attempts to address real issuesâbelonging, sexuality, and the age-old nature versus nurture debateâfalls short.