The Waters & the Wild

January 29, 2018
When artist Jessica Burke dies of an apparent overdose in her New York City apartment, her psychoanalyst, Daniel Abend, the protagonist of Oberlin professor Harrison’s poignant but ponderous debut, is shocked; he thought she’d turned her life around. Daniel manages to push the matter from his mind—until three years later, when he receives an anonymous package containing proof that Jessica was murdered. He destroys the evidence to avoid becoming involved, but then his 18-year-old daughter, Clementine, goes missing. His mailbox fills with menacing messages suggesting that the sender not only knows Clementine’s whereabouts but also possesses information about Daniel’s past indiscretions and the death of Clementine’s mother. Daniel knows that he must atone for his sins, but how far will he go in order to save his child? After a strong start, the story loses steam. Although the central mystery intrigues, its convoluted denouement frustrates, and Harrison’s fondness for florid prose and philosophical asides slows the pace while obscuring the plot. Agent: Bill Clegg, Clegg Agency.

This audiobook offers a trifecta of strong writing, riveting mystery, and seasoned narrator. Mark Deakins lends his resonant baritone to first-time novelist DeSales Harrison's literary thriller. When Jessica Burke is found dead in her New York City apartment, everyone assumes it was an overdose. But psychoanalyst Daniel Abend, who treated Jessica for years, receives a package suggesting a chilling alternative: Jessica was murdered. Then Daniel's daughter goes missing, and more menacing messages suggest the culprit knows something about his sordid past. Deakins effortlessly draws listeners into Daniel's point of view, from which most of the story is told. Harrison's poetry background is apparent, and it's quite an aural experience to hear his elegant prose so smoothly delivered by Deakins. A.T.N. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine