THE EXECUTOR

The fourth Jesse Kellerman mystery would be a challenge to any narrator. It's tedious, overly philosophical, and takes much too long to get to the point. Joseph Geise is booted from Harvard University after failing to complete his thesis on free will after six years. He has few possessions and little ambition. He then takes a job talking philosophy with a woman in her seventies, Alma, who is originally from Vienna. Enter Alma's nephew, and the tone of the plot changes: Murder is on the horizon. Kirby Heyborne's characterization of Geise is appropriately frustrating at the start. Geise truly is a bore, but as he is transmogrified into a killer, Heyborne hits his stride. He delivers a much better performance than this book deserves. A.L.H. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2010]