FIVE STAR BILLIONAIRE

Robertson Dean's serious baritone is the right choice for narrating this story of four relatively recent arrivals to Shanghai who are variously in search of success, love, and escape from the past. Dean's detached tone and limited emotional engagement communicate the sense of isolation and introspection the characters feel as they make their way to their individual versions of success in this large city. All the characters are mysteriously and unknowingly interwoven through the machinations of one Walter Chao, the author of a fictional guide to business success in the new China, "Secrets of a Five Star Billionaire." Interspersed within the narrative are excerpts from Chao's book, which in audio format can be difficult to distinguish from the rest of the story. S.E.G. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2013]