Deliver Us from Evil

March 15, 2010
Bestseller Baldacci's sequel to The Whole Truth
(2008) lacks the creative plotting and masterful handling of suspense that marked his earlier thrillers. Evan Waller, outwardly a respectable Canadian businessman but secretly a human trafficker who sells children into prostitution, has expanded into arranging nuclear weapons deals with Islamic fundamentalists. Shaw, the lead of The Whole Truth
, sets out to stop Evan, as does Regina “Reggie” Campion, a British femme fatale, who works for a clandestine group that tracks down and executes war criminals. Reggie and Shaw, both of whom intend to make their move while Evan is on vacation in Provence, cross paths while maintaining their cover stories. Shaw becomes attracted to Reggie, even as he fears that Evan, who's in fact a sadistic Ukrainian who served the Soviets, will abduct her. Crucial developments come across as contrived rather than clever. The ultimate resolution will surprise few.

Ron McLarty comfortably handles the diverse accents and speech rhythms required to establish identifiable characters of both genders. Several characters in this thriller are making repeat appearances from the recent novel THE WHOLE TRUTH. McLarty's command of pace and clarity of delivery allow the listener to navigate the challenges of following two separate investigations while also untangling the pathology of a war criminal and terrorist. McLarty's subtle emotional intensity is particularly compelling as he presents horrifying scenes without theatrics. The seemingly random insertion of ominous- sounding music is the only distraction in this satisfying audio experience. M.O.B. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine