The Elephant of Surprise

The Texas-based setting of this audiobook makes everything about it just a bit different, from its twangy style to its unusual, but engaging, Southern charm. Narrator Christopher Ryan Grant recognizes the need to include a downhome accent and wit in every scene, ensuring that Joe Lansdale's relatively short audiobook is enjoyable listening. The investigative duo of Hap and Leonard is trying to save a woman with a partly severed tongue who is being pursued by thugs who are trying to finish their boss's botched mob hit. The chase is pure fun, and Grant's pleasure-filled tone is as memorable as Lansdale's virtually endless train of similes. D.J.S. � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine