May 31, 2024
Bestsellers Davis (The Spectacular) and Wands (The Woman Inside, written under the name E.G. Scott) offer a fun and fast-paced audio-first novella, perfect for fans of thrillers set during Prohibition. New York City in the early 1930s is a hotbed of gangsters, crooked cops, and thirsty citizens. Independent Jo Hayes has a job as an auto mechanic, but after a series of impulsive actions, she finds herself serving as getaway driver to a group of rum runners. Then a serious car accident sets her on a path toward the big city, where she is determined to work her way up in the rum-running world. Jo soon meets Lydia Gardiner, the notorious queenpin of a sweeping criminal empire, who decides to take Jo under her wing. The only complication? A nosy NYPD detective with a score to settle. A trio of voice actors narrates the audio: Carolina Hoyos as Jo, Patty Mattson as Lydia, and Marco Pelaez as detective Sam Garrity. The narrators offer well-balanced performances, with cadences and accents that capture the characters' grit and charisma. Though the plot is somewhat hurried, the engaging performances and lively characters make for an enjoyable listen. VERDICT Fans of TV's Boardwalk Empire and other Prohibition-era stories are in for a treat.--Erin Cataldi
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