11/15/2014
Darcy Anderson has had a good marriage for more than 20 years, but when her husband is away on a business trip, she stumbles upon his horrible secret while hunting for batteries in the garage. With the secret unfolding before her eyes, she has to make a bitter choice—destroy everything they have loved and built together, or keep the secret of a man she's not sure she even knows anymore. King is a masterful storyteller and this suspenseful novella builds quickly and keeps the tension high. Pulled from the author's collection of four novellas, Full Dark, No Stars, the story stands well on its own. Jessica Hecht's powerful narration communicates the intense and mixed feelings of the characters, adding to the depth and conflict of the story. VERDICT Fans of suspense looking for a quick, high-impact listen will enjoy this tale, as will all fans of King's other works.—Cliff Landis, Georgia State Univ. Lib., Atlanta

Reissued to coincide with the movie release, this noir tale from King takes us into the horror of a spouse who hides a horrendous secret. Listening to a suburban housewife discover that her husband has raped and killed numerous women brings the unsettling sensation that we can never truly know another person—nor the actions we are each capable of performing. Jessica Hecht’s narration is marred by forced characterizations and a tendency to raise her pitch at the ends of sentences. When Hecht is simply speaking, her voice flows evenly, but it becomes artificial as she steps into character voices. This story was included in King’s previously released work FULL DARK, NO STARS. M.L.R. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine