The Shimmering Road

December 12, 2016
Thriller Award–finalist Young’s whip-smart, adrenaline-fueled second Charlotte “Charlie” Cates novel (after 2015’s The Gates of Evangeline) finds the pregnant journalist and her boyfriend, Noah Palmer, in Tucson, Ariz., attempting to adopt Charlie’s six-year-old niece, Michaela, after the double homicide of Charlie’s estranged mother, Donna DeRossi, and Charlie’s half-sister, Jasmine Cassell. The police believe that the crime was drug related, but those closest to the victims insist otherwise. Charlie launches an investigation that lands her and Noah in a tangled web of sex, lies, and international political corruption. Meanwhile, Charlie, who has a history of psychic dreams, is plagued by nightmares that predict her own violent death. Young deftly uses Charlie’s supernatural gift to create tension and dread without relying too heavily on it to advance the plot. And a story line involving Donna’s employer—a nonprofit that helps women living in Mexican border towns—both champions charity and gives poverty a human face. Agent: Esmond Harmsworth, Zachary Shuster Harmsworth.

Narrator January LaVoy finds pleasant, folksy voices and accents for the likable characters in Young's Charlie Cates mysteries. Listeners will find slight supernatural elements in addition to the crimes in this series. Here, the very pregnant Charlie is living with her boyfriend, Noah Palmer, in Texas. Soon she discovers that she has an orphaned 6-year-old half-niece in Arizona. Charlie's prophetic dreams, immigration issues, and adoption law all add to the story. LaVoy's voice is engaging, and she uses pacing and rich tonal changes to add vibrancy to her characterizations. Dramatic scenes in the Arizona desert as Charlie is pursued are made even more tense by LaVoy's delivery. Her performance makes for riveting listening. S.C.A. � AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine