THE PRINCE OF BAGRAM PRISON

Caroline Lee does her best to breathe authenticity into a novel about a young female interrogator, but the story never quite coalesces. Katherine (Kat) Caldwell, an Arabic specialist, is sent to find out what she can about terrorist activities from a 15-year-old Moroccan boy, the prince of the title. Lee does well with the pacing and mechanics of the spy world, keeping things moving briskly, but her performance is slowed by Carr’s heavy-handed, self-conscious descriptions of both people and places. Lee is an admirable guide as the story moves from Morocco to Madrid and a whirlwind of other locations, and she manages to keep the myriad secondary characters straight enough for listeners to follow. However, despite Lee's convincing portrayals, the story promises more than it delivers. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2011]