OFF COURSE

At the center of this absorbing audiobook is Cressida Hartley, almost PhD, who moves to her parents' mountain cabin in order to write her dissertation. Amy Rubinate's voice is warm and youthful, a good match for Cressida, whom she portrays with sympathy and skill. Her Cressida is capable and sympathetic, and few alarms go off as Cress postpones work to flirt and make friends in her new community. But look out below. When a dalliance with a married man turns into something with the power to tear lives apart, the trap has been built around Cress so quietly and skillfully that you don't see it until it snaps shut on her. Kudos to both Huneven and Rubinate for this deft and compelling listening experience. B.G. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2014]