THE ROBBER BRIDE

Charis, Roz, and Tony are haunted by Zenia, a man-eating master manipulator from their college days. They are almost literally haunted—as they thought Zenia was dead until she reappeared to wreak havoc on their settled middle-aged lives. Bernadette Dunne’s throaty purr nicely portrays both Zenia’s predatory ways and the trio’s grown-up concerns. The story jumps back and forth in time, so listeners get to hear Zenia’s past exploits and present-day psychological torture. Dunne is especially adept at showing resignation and world-weariness. But the story is not all dark. Dunne has more than a bit of playfulness in her tones, which suits Atwood’s penchant for clever wordplay. The youthful edge in Dunne’s voice moves beautifully from college-age concerns to middle-aged trials. G.D. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2011]