Man with a Squirrel

For the first few minutes of this recording one may feel that Patrick Cullen's reading is far too flat and mechanical. But presently one finds oneself completely engrossed in the story and hardly aware of the reader. In short, this recording is an excellent example for those who feel that an audiobook reader should be neutral, interpreting as little as possible. In this case it works, no doubt helped by fine writing and a mystery that is more intellectual puzzle than emotional thriller. Cullen's reading is not, in fact, flat, but finely controlled understatement: intelligent and free of distractions. Unusually clear sound further enhances the transparent effortlessness of this recording. J.N. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

July 1, 1996
Fred Taylor, a Boston-based art expert who made his initial appearance in Harmony in Flesh and Black, returns to tackle another multifaceted crime. Art experts have made fine amateur sleuths--e.g., Aaron Elkin's Chris Norgren or Elizabeth Peters's Vicky Bliss. Fred, low-keyed, blunt and sardonic, is an eccentrically nonmaterialistic sort employed by the rich and very acquisitive Clayton Reed. Despite his aversion to ownership, Fred has moved in with girlfriend Molly Riley and her preteen children, Sam and Terry, finding himself possessed of, and by, a family. Here, Fred buys a fragment of a mutilated painting he thinks might be an unknown (or unaccounted for) portrait by John Singleton Copley, an 18th-century American-born painter whose Tory leanings caused him to flee to England. Fred's pursuit of the rest of the painting leads to murder. Through Molly, Fred also becomes involved in the machinations of Eunice Cover-Hoover, a psychiatrist who blends talk-show appearances, pop-psych books and personal consultations about recovering repressed memories of abuse into a smooth and sinister con operation. In addition to rendering the art history (and Fred's research) interesting, Kilmer makes Cover-Hoover's predations on the psychologically fragile believable and frightening. These elements and healthy doses of humor and suspense keep the pages turning to the satisfying conclusion.

December 2, 1997
Patrick Cullen does an excellent reading of this surprisingly nonstuffy story involving the details of an 18th-century American artist, an unscrupulous, greedy therapist, a journalist only interested in ratings and shock value, and false accusations of satanic worship. Fred Taylor, a diehard noncollector who prowls Boston shops on behalf of a collector, finds the fragment of what appears to be the work of a famous artist in his old friend's antique shop. The search for the rest of the painting and the story behind its mutilation soon leads Fred into a tangled web of murder, violence, and intrigue. He's helped along by his housemate, a reference librarian. All in all, this most entertaining mystery keeps the listener's attention from start to finish. Recommended for mystery collections.--Nancy Paul, Brandon P.L., Wis.