THE NAMING OF THE DEAD

James Gale's Scottish brogue and intensity of emotion combine for a strong portrayal of Detective Inspector John Rebus, who is trying to solve the serial murders of recently released sex offenders and resolve his brother's death, all against the backdrop of the G8 summit being held outside Edinburgh. As if that's not bad enough, the G8 has the powers-that-be pulling rank and declaring that the death of the Assistant Minister of International Development is a suicide. Rebus doesn't agree and adds one more murder to his already full plate. Gale easily swings into a number of accents, leads listeners through the mélange of politics and suspense, and keeps the many characters sorted out, but listeners new to the series may struggle to keep up. S.W. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 07]