The Prophet

Chris Fabry reads with quiet eloquence about the prophet Amos, using rich tones and textures to describe Israel during its prosperous, sinful years. His depictions of Amos as a youth, disillusioned by priests who compromise their sacrifices with blemished lambs for their own profit, are rich with meaning. When he depicts Amos's love for his flock, the portrayal is genuine and warm as is Fabry's characterization of Amos's growing intimacy with the Lord, who calls out to him in frightening dreams and visions. Rivers's illumination of the life of Amos, the prophet who was unpopular because of his message of repentance to Israel, is exceptionally well characterized by Fabry. G.D.W. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine

Starred review from June 11, 2012
After three supernatural thrillers, Thriller Award–finalist Koryta (The Ridge) triumphantly returns to crime fiction with this multilayered exploration of guilt and redemption. A momentary lapse has haunted bail bondsman Adam Austin all his life. Some two decades earlier, in his hometown of Chambers, Ohio, the then 18-year-old Adam chose to hang out with his latest love-interest one day rather than walk his 16-year-old sister, Marie Lynn, the five blocks home from school. A predator abducted Marie Lynn and killed her. Since then a gulf has existed between Austin and his then 15-year-old brother, Kent. Old wounds reopen after Adam unintentionally sends another teenage girl, Rachel Bond, to her death. The parallel events compel him to vow to not only catch but kill the person responsible. That Rachel’s boyfriend happens to be the star receiver for the Chambers high school football team coached by Kent forces the brothers to reconnect. Like Laura Lippman, Koryta has a gift for melding a suspenseful, twisty plot with a probing, unflinching look at his protagonists’ weaknesses. Agent: David Hale Smith, Inkwell Management.

With football a backdrop, two brothers struggle with their past as well as with a killer in their Ohio town. Robert Petkoff's excellent narration shapes each character appropriately. He gives Kent, a football coach, a slightly softer tone than his brother Adam, a brooding, troubled man whose voice is a bit deeper and suggests he's ready to lose his cool at any time. The distinction between the two is important because both are intrinsic to the dialogue and plot. Petkoff also is fine with the minor characters, especially the drunken mother of the murder victim. The narration and writing combine wonderfully, and the description of football is some of the best in fiction. M.B. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine