THE DEAL

Fleet Cooper gives voice to Michael and Matthew Palmer's short story about a petty criminal who finds himself face to face with an old woman during a robbery. The old woman has nothing of value left in her house but offers to tell her home invader exactly when he will die, down to the hour. Has she bestowed on him a treasure or a curse? Cooper definitely lavishes his listeners with a treasure. The gritty texture of his narration characterizes the morally bankrupt thief, and his interpretation of the old woman lends an atmospheric chill to the tale. This brief gem in Mulholland Books's Strand Originals series is a dazzling sparkler any mystery fan will appreciate. J.F. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2016]