The Heavens May Fall

July 18, 2016
Edgar-finalist Eskens’s gripping third mystery featuring homicide detective Max Rupert (after 2015’s The Guise of Another) pits Max against defense attorney Boady Sanden, a longtime friend, in a criminal case. Boady is defending attorney Ben Pruitt, who’s on trial for the murder of his wife, Jennavieve. Jennavieve was stabbed to death at night in her Minneapolis home while Ben was at a meeting in Chicago. Was there just enough time for Ben to drive home, kill his wife, and get back by morning? A witness saw a red car park in front of the house at midnight—did Ben have access to a red car? Although Max is distracted by new information on the death of his own wife four years earlier, he pulls together the case against Ben at the insistence of prosecutor Frank Dovey, who’s altogether too eager to put it before a grand jury. Eskens keeps the reader guessing as the tale takes several unexpected twists before reaching the satisfying denouement. Agent: Amy Cloughley, Kimberley Cameron Agency.

The crime at the heart of Eskens's mystery is only the beginning of the issues tackled in this audiobook. Speaking primarily from the perspectives of the main characters, detective Max Rupert and attorney Boady Sanden, narrators R.C. Bray and David Colacci express urgency, compassion, and determination. The story begins with the brutal murder of Jennavieve Pruitt. The subsequent investigation and trial are vividly portrayed as the principals struggle to overcome past mistakes without destroying their reputations. Narrator Amy McFadden makes a brief appearance as law student Lila Nash. Listeners await the verdict while also rooting for Max and Boady to win their personal battles. This is an unforgettable novel about justice, forgiveness, friendship, and redemption. K.S.M. 2017 Audies Finalist � AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine