The Accident

July 4, 2011
Barclay (Never Look Away) examines the consequences of ordinary citizens making criminal decisions in the wake of the recession in this believable thriller that skillfully alternates between high-octane action and a slower sense of unease. Milford, Conn., contractor Glen Garber has a lot to deal with in the wake of his wife Sheila's death in a car accident that claimed two other lives: potential lawsuits over the accident, a fire in one of his houses, his eight-year-old daughter Kelly's difficulties at school, his mother-in-law's disapproval, and abiding anger and confusion over the accident's circumstances. In addition, some of Sheila's friends make inappropriate queries into the whereabouts of her purse during the accident, and while playing a hide-and-seek game at a friend's home, Kelly overhears a disturbing conversation that triggers a series of deadly confrontations. The sorry events in Milford are a great argument for people feeling the pinch in their pocketbooks to avoid illicit trafficking in knock-off drugs, purses, and construction materials.

October 31, 2011
In Barclay’s latest thriller, things are not going well for independent contractor Glen Garber. Just as his business is on the verge of tanking, his beloved and sensible wife dies in a car crash, apparently because she was driving while intoxicated. But the real nightmare begins when Garber begins investigating the crash, thus placing his life and that of his young daughter in jeopardy. This audio version is a furious, suspenseful ride with narrator Peter Berkrot effectively maintaining the book’s pedal-to-the-metal pace and shifting smoothly from first-person to third-person narration. Berkrot also lends appropriate voices to Barclay’s characters—including a ruggedly decisive tone for Garber and an otherworldly wooziness for his secretary. A Bantam hardcover.