ZERO DAY

An Army CID warrant officer is sent to investigate the murder of a military family in a West Virginia mining town in this offbeat police procedural. The use of two narrators, Ron McLarty and Orlagh Cassidy, is effective, given the dialogue-heavy text. Cassidy is particularly adept at changing accent and tone to differentiate the female characters, and the banter between her main character, Samantha Cole, and McLarty's John Puller convinces the listener with its ease and authenticity. Occasional sound effects are added to highlight the action scenes. The plot twists are never telegraphed by the author or the narrators, making this an engrossing experience. J.L. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2011]