THE ROOK

With little apparent effort, narrator Susan Duerden navigates the bizarre world of Myfanwy (Rook) Thomas, a head administrator at a London-based paranormal investigation agency. We meet her after an enemy’s attack has rendered her with amnesia, a situation that drops quite the assignment in Duerden’s lap. She has to characterize the confused, amnesiac Rook, along with the prior non-amnesiac version of the character (seen in flashbacks) and a variety of colorful beings with strange abilities, one of whom was responsible for her memory issues. Daniel O’Malley’s ambitious and often funny novel adds strong female characters to the mix. All are ably served by Duerden’s wide-ranging, confident performance. J.P.M. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2012]