Hear No Evil

The evil in the latest thriller by this lawer-turned-novelist is not in the listening, but in the plotting. Jack Swyteck is back to defend a woman accused of killing her husband, a captain at the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The first twist is that the woman's deaf adopted son, who was in the next room during the murder, may be Swyteck's offspring. The second is that one of Castro's soldiers, who was spying on the base, may be the only witness to the murder. Imagine bringing a Cuban soldier to Miami to testify. Nick Sullivan is especially believable when he performs Latin characters. His accents are near perfect, and his clear voice keeps the listener on the edge. A.L.H. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine

August 2, 2004
Miami lawyer Jack Swyteck is in for one hell of a roller coaster ride in this lapel-grabbing thriller, Grippando's ninth (Last to Die
; etc.). Lindsey Hart, about to be charged with the murder of her husband, Marine Capt. Oscar Pintado, comes to Jack because she believes he is her last, best chance—and also the biological father of her adopted son. Stunned, Jack thinks he recognizes the picture of the 10-year-old she shows him ("he knew those dark eyes, that Roman nose"), but he still isn't sure whether he should take the case. What if he doesn't and she's innocent? She could be convicted. But if she's guilty—and he takes the case and wins it—he doesn't want to see the child raised by a murderer. Thanks to Grippando's devious mind, that's just the beginning. Plot twists, doled out with perfect timing, include the story of the murder victim, who's the son of a rich and powerful anti-Castro activist; the prosecutor's connection to Swyteck's family; and the testimony of the defense's prime witness, who is a private in Castro's army—the murder took place on the U.S. military base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. It's manipulative Lindsey, however, who proves to be the book's most unpredictable element. This character-driven, intricately plotted thriller will keep readers guessing up to the end. Agent, Richard Pine.

When Jack Swyteck, a Miami lawyer, gets involved in a murder case, defending the wife of an officer at Guantanamo Bay, he has the entire Cuban-American community, as well as the military, working against him. Add the involvement of the Cuban government, and you have a fascinating story of cover-ups and old-fashioned stonewalling. Campbell Scott performs with ease as he uses Cuban accents interspersed with American intonation. Scott ratchets up the intensity with subtle shifts in tone and pacing. The scenes in Cuba are particularly chilling as Swyteck runs afoul of both the U.S. and Cuban military machines. M.B.K. (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine