THE GOOD CHILDREN

Three-time Nebula Award winner Kate Wilhelm creates an unsettling account of a family of four children who are trying to stay together under devastating circumstances. After their father is killed in an accident, their emotionally distraught and reclusive mother burdens them with an impossible promise. When their mother dies shortly afterward, the children try to abide by their promise, finding themselves sinking deeper and deeper into a tangled web of deceit. Carrington MacDuffie is convincing as Kevin, 15; Amy, 14; Liz, 11; and Brian, 6, attempt to hide their mother's death, hoping to avoid the foster care system. MacDuffie's treatment of Brian's slide into a psychological nightmare is especially chilling. Wilhelm's finely crafted thriller is made even more memorable by MacDuffie's sensitive performance. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2009]