Garden of Beasts

Kliatt, March, 2005 by Miles Klein

GARDEN OF BEASTS. Jeffery Deaver. 2004. Read by Jefferson Mays. 9 tapes. 13.5 hrs. Recorded Books. 1-193-0892-0. $80.00. Vinyl; plot notes. A

The political and social unrest that borders on paranoia in the Berlin of 1936 is the background for this thriller. The Third Reich is taking shape; the Summer Olympics are about to begin; and Paul Schumann has come to Berlin to do what he does best--kill somebody. Schumann, a German-American, is a hit man for the mob, but he's a killer with a conscience. He accepts only "righteous" contracts, saying that he's getting rid of God's mistakes. Having completed his latest assignment, he's captured by the F.B.I and given a choice: either go to Sing Sing and await the electric chair, or agree to pose as a sportswriter and attend the Olympics in order to assassinate the man directing Germany's rearmament. Needless to say, he agrees to the mission.

Deaver recreates the period with the inclusion of famed American athletes like Jesse Owens and Marty Glickman and with period phrases and colloquialisms. Mays' excellent reading enhances this exciting, unpredictable novel. His style is grim, icy and near monotone but dead on, and he manages to convey the sound and feel of speaking German even while reading in English. Clipped tones and well-placed inflections are put to expert use. Miles Klein, Frisco, TX

A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. This code help librarian and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries.