THE EXAMINER

An ensemble of six narrators narrates this twisty British thriller, which follows six art students who are enrolled in a nontraditional graduate program. Eager to impress the university, their instructor secures a year-long collaboration with a local tech company as part of the curriculum, but when a student disappears after an off-site excursion, the group struggles to work together under tense circumstances. As the story unfolds through emails, texts, reports, and messages from the course examiner, the narrators capture each character's distinct personality, which makes the format easier to follow. Anushka Chakravarti and Brendan Dempsey are particularly great as Jem and Patrick, respectively, who form a tenuous friendship. The disastrous end-of-year gala keeps listeners engaged to the very end. C.A.P. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2024]