THE WATER'S EDGE

Pedophilia isn’t a pleasant subject, but Fossum’s prose and David Rintoul’s elegant reading make it palatable. In Norway a small boy is found dead, and a second child disappears. Suspicion falls on a pathetic loner of a man who admits taking liberties with the first but denies any knowledge of the second. Rintoul’s vocal powers of persuasion make you feel sorry for almost everyone involved—the detectives who must probe; the bereft mothers; the missing boy, who is obese; even the pedophile—and you keep listening. As Detective Sejer, Rintoul is authoritative but sympathetic as he questions suspects, finally getting to the truth. You’ll be tempted to track down Rintoul’s other Sejer mysteries. J.B.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2010]