THE MALTESE FALCON

All the characters in this story are famously despicable. Private eye Sam Spade is motivated by personal gain and his own ego. His clients are no more moral--they are selfish, dishonest, double-crossing, greedy, and sometimes even violent. At the heart of this classic “noir” is the search for the valuable jewel-encrusted falcon. Despite the repugnance of the characters, William Dufris’s reading is tremendously likable. His enthusiasm is well suited to creating distinctive voices for each character and an overarching atmosphere of distrust. Dufris’s use of timing is impeccable--forcing slow, tortured silences that increase the suspense just when a print reader would be flying through the pages to discover the ending. A.B. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 04]