The Righteous Men

July 17, 2006
Bourne's first novel, with a jacket that promises ancient secrets and mysterious manuscripts, has all the obligatory religious-thriller elements. Unfortunately, his hero, fledgling New York Times
reporter Will Monroe Jr., is clueless, the structure unoriginal, the code-breaking boring, the earth-shattering threat unbelievable and the writing often clumsy ("Will felt his eyes soaking with tears"). Will, while investigating his first murder story, discovers that the victim, a pimp with multiple stab wounds, has a heart of gold and is indeed a "righteous man." After Will writes about another righteous man's murder, Will's wife, Beth, is abducted. Will's search for Beth leads him to the insular Hasidic community of Crown Heights, Brooklyn, where he undergoes a bit of torture while learning the history of Judaism. Eventually, Will unearths a vast conspiracy whose goal is Armageddon, the end of the world. Bourne, the pseudonym of British journalist Jonathan Freedland, has done his homework, but the heavy breathing one senses is not the sound of captivated readers whipping through the pages but rather that of an anxious author frantically attempting to hammer his extensive research into the mold of bestselling fiction. Rights sold in 24 countries.

Dennis Boutsikaris relates a story of dark intrigue with stylish articulation of diverse characters around the world, using distinct Jewish accents and lyrical tones to set characters apart. For Will Monroe, stories in the NEW YORK TIMES of righteous men being murdered worldwide are at first simply curious. When his pregnant wife is kidnapped, it becomes personal. Dennis Boutsikaris's delivery conveys a sense of mystery and terror that ratchets up the tension. A relentless chase begins that involves New York's Hassidic community, strange Kabbalah experts, and the identity of The Apostle, only whispered about in legends. Boutsikaris excels, yet he cannot overcome Monroe's unsympathetic character and a plot filled with unlikely coincidences. G.D.W. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine