The Disappeared

October 19, 2009
Still raw from an acrimonious divorce, former lawyer Jenny Cooper pops pills to control anxiety as she slowly adjusts to her new career as the coroner for the Severn Vale District, near Bristol, England, in Hall's solid U.S. debut. When a distraught mother asks Cooper to hold an inquest to declare her son legally dead, Cooper is hesitant to take the case. Nazim Jamal and a friend disappeared seven years earlier while at university and, according to the police, probably fled to Afghanistan to join al-Qaeda at the urging of a radical mosque. Nazim's mother is adamant her son was not an extremist. As Cooper's investigation broadens, she's met with resistance not only from the police but also MI5, who claim Nazim's disappearance may have national security implications. Hall (The Coroner
) creates an appealingly flawed heroine, but struggles with pacing and the difficult task of precisely defining the coroner's role in solving crimes.

Disbarred lawyer Alec MacAvoy joins British coroner Jenny Cooper in the investigation of the deaths of radical Muslim students Nazim Jamal and Rafti Hassam, considered runaways seven years earlier. At Mrs. Jamal's request, Cooper opens an inquest, but she soon encounters subtle pressure to close the case. Sian Thomas narrates this multilayered British mystery with pitch-perfect British, Irish, and Pakistani accents. He imbues characters with distinct personalities through vocal shading and tone. Thomas's skillful weaving of the interplay between MacAvoy and Cooper is consistent and believable. His excellent performance culminates with a shock ending. G.D.W. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine