The Day of Atonement

This swashbuckling tale of one man's anger, vengeance, and search for justice takes place in mid-eighteenth-century Portugal during the time of the Inquisition and the Great Lisbon Earthquake. Samuel Roukin narrates with such controlled intensity that we almost believe Sebastiao Laposa could singlehandedly destroy Jesuit inquisitors, right wrongs, and rescue damsels in distress. Roukin doesn't try to make his voice match the age or sex of each character, but through tone and pacing he conveys the determination, fear, rage, and other passions that drive each of the troubled souls in the corrupt city of Lisbon. It's all delivered by a gifted narrator. D.L.G. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine

March 15, 2015

In Liss's (The Whiskey Rebels) latest title, set during the Spanish Inquisition, there is plenty of action and suspense, but it's the characters and dialog that set it apart. In 1755, Sebastian Foxx is returning to his homeland of Portugal to hone his skills as a "thief hunter." Foxx is on the trail of the man who defrauded him and his family when Foxx was a boy in Lisbon. Foxx learned thief hunting from one of Liss's most intriguing characters, Benjamin Weaver, the protagonist of three of the author's earlier novels, including A Conspiracy of Paper. Samuel Roukin reads the book in a slow, careful manner that permits the listener to concentrate on the rich tapestry of Jewish resentment, duplicitous maritime traders, cunning Jesuits, and everyday street denizens of 18th-century Portugal. VERDICT This selection will add a welcome touch of class to any audio collection. It's set in a period of time that has not been overdone, it deals with characters that listeners will really care about, and it will certainly encourage listeners to seek out other books by this first-class author.--Joseph L. Carlson, Vandenberg Air Force Base Lib., Lompoc, CA

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.