PATRIOT Alex Hawke, Book 9

Indomitable Alex Hawke (Royal Navy/MI6), now working with the CIA, takes on dangerous and devious Russians and Cubans, and even the nefarious Vladimir Putin himself, in the newest installment in this series. Bell writes an excellent action scene but is inclined to serve it with a dollop of right-wing politics. Shea has a strong, clear baritone, appropriate pacing, and a dramatic tone that doesn't distract from the story. His delivery of dialects can be entertaining. When Hawke (upper-class English) and "Gator" (a Cajun with a drawl) interrogate Russians (with thick Boris Badenov accents), the effect can be comic. On the other hand, you always know who is talking. F.C. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2015]