The Quiet Girl

Author Peter H¿eg's latest novel is beautifully read by narrator James Gale. His rich tone and classical delivery are the perfect fit for this vivid and haunting story. There is a certain theatrical aspect at work here, as Gale knows exactly when and where to emphasize for effect and never pushes himself over the edge. His tone is gritty and firm in a steady performance that will capture the imaginations in its gentility and genuine approach. Gale provides the listener with all of the tools necessary to believe every word he reads. Innately likable and honestly performed, H¿eg's novel is a moving experience. L.B. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

September 3, 2007
Høeg built his bestselling mystery, Smilla's Sense of Snow
, around the science of ice. In this labyrinthine, intellectual thriller, Høeg focuses on the nature of sound, and in particular the music of Bach. In a near future where an earthquake and resulting flood have submerged a portion of the city of Copenhagen, Kasper Krone, a world-famous clown and passionate Bach fan, is about to be deported for not paying his taxes. But an official in a secret government agency known as Department H offers to make the charges disappear if Krone will help them locate a young girl, KlaraMaria, who was once his student and shares his peculiar psychic abilities. The blend of science, erudition and slow revelations could only have been written by Høeg, and will appeal to his many fans and other readers with a taste for the literary offbeat.

January 28, 2008
With his cool intelligence, James Gale is an ideal choice to read Hoeg's latest intellectual thriller. Like Smilla's Sense of Snow
, Hoeg has created a Fellini-like world of bizarre and dreamlike landscapes and events. Gale wisely underplays just enough to make listeners eager to find out more. In a flooded part of Copenhagen, Kasper Krone—a famous clown, psychic and passionate lover of the music of Bach—has run afoul of the tax authorities and faces deportation. But a bureaucrat from the Kafkaesque “Department H” promises to make the charges disappear if Krone will help them locate a young girl who was once Krone's pupil, now being looked after by a society of nuns. Gale guides the characters through a tangled tale of music and mystery without missing a beat or overstating a point. Gale makes Krone a wonderful mixture of motives and passions, and his villainous bureaucrat reeks with the banality of evil. Simultaneous release with the FSG hardcover (Reviews, Sept. 3).