The Saboteurs

WWII serves as the backdrop as the Men at War series continues with Dick Canidy and his crew fighting the Axis on U.S. soil and abroad. They get some unlikely help from the Mafia. James Naughton jumps between story lines wonderfully, giving personas to the American crew, Italian-born immigrants, and German saboteurs. Plot lines wind in and out, bombs blast, and Naughton doesn't miss a step. Background music and sounds mostly add to the segues, though sometimes can be a bit distracting. An abrupt ending in this abridgment leaves the listener pondering a few points, but it doesn't mar the overall story, character development, or Naughton's fine reading. M.B. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

April 17, 2006
Bestseller Griffin and his son, Butterworth, resuscitate Griffin's Men at War series, first published in paperback during the 1980s under the pseudonym Alex Baldwin and featuring the Office of Strategic Services; its fabled chief, Col. William J. "Wild Bill" Donovan; and OSS agent Maj. Richard M. Canidy. Two primary plot lines drive this new adventure: the U.S. preparation for the invasion of Sicily and mainland Italy in 1943, and the tale of four German saboteurs who have landed in America. The authors are heavily invested in their research, meticulously describing almost every element of life in the 1940s, to the detriment of the action. The German saboteurs are eventually dealt with, but the behind-the-lines Sicilian operation led by Canidy is only hastily outlined after a long buildup. One supposes that the Sicilian story that's promised but never delivered will appear in future installments. This is pretty much all show and no go, but readers who have a strong interest in WWII home-front history should be satisfied. Author tour.

David Colacci is certainly more than "a reader." He truly performs this WWII-era thriller with a twist: German saboteurs have brought the war to United States soil, blowing up trains, train stations, and moored ships. At the same time, U.S. agents prepare for the invasion of Sicily and Italy. Colacci becomes a sinister German, a Brit, a dusky Italian, a Southern belle, and more. His delivery is smooth, natural, and more versatile than one might expect of his rich baritone voice. His pace is just right, too, and he's accomplished at building suspense as the plot jumps from the Battle of the Atlantic to other worldwide locales such as London, Washington, and Algiers. D.J.M. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine