BILLY SUMMERS

Stephen King built a career on horror, but his latest venture, which is crime drama, is scary good. Billy Summers is a hit man with a conscience; he only goes after "bad men," even though he has no compunction about being paid to kill. Narrator Paul Sparks's performance is so perfect it challenges the listener to stop listening. Sure--just TRY to turn it off! Sparks is fantastic, whether he's giving voice to a fat Mafioso called Pig or a young rape victim who turns to Billy for help or the other colorful characters from King's work. While Billy's character is a tad far-fetched, it fits the definition of antihero--think Showtime's Dexter. And because the story is told in the first person, listeners see the decent person inside the man with blood on his hands. M.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2021]