THE RIVERMAN

Everything in Alistair's simple life changes when he agrees to write the biography of his classmate, Fiona. Narrator Graham Halstead's hypnotic intonation lulls the listener as the story slowly reveals the puzzle of Fiona's visits to the parallel world of Aquavania, where the Riverman steals the souls of children. As the lines between fantasy and reality blur in this dark tale, Halstead clearly delineates between Fiona's stolid insistence that Aquavania and the Riverman exist and Alistair's initial skepticism of her story. Halstead also captures Alistair's fierce protectiveness of her. Secondary characters are portrayed equally well. Alistair's best friend, Charlie, has the jumpy, impatient voice of a gamer while Charlie's older brother, Kyle, has a laid-back, amused tone. M.F.T. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2015]