THE INNOCENT

This 1989 novel is set in postwar Berlin, where a joint U.S.-British team is constructing a tunnel to spy on the Russians on the other side of the divided city. Leonard Marnham, a young British technician, finds himself deeply embroiled in the tunnel project, and deeply involved with Maria, with whom he falls in love. British narrator John Franklyn-Robbins is particularly good at delivering dialogue, capturing the rhythms and nuances skillfully. He not only handles Marnham's character well, he also does a convincing American accent for Marnham's enigmatic friend, Bob Glass. His pacing is somewhat languid, however, and the brief novel unfolds more slowly than it should. D.B. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 07]