Missing Child

Six-year-old Georgie disappears from school, and his stepmother, Caitlin Eckhart, is frantic with worry--and the lingering fear that her own personal secrets will come to light in the ensuing investigation. Lynne Woodison handles the narration with style, including deft portrayals of each of the characters. Her interpretations occasionally falter, however, as with a robotic-sounding detective and a character who moves from a shaky voice to an authoritative tone in just two sentences. These trifling mismatches are annoying rather than distracting. The cast of characters is large, and the vocals provide each one with a unique tone and pace--quite a feat for a single-voiced narration. M.T. (c) AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine