Double Cross Blind.

DOUBLE CROSS BLIND. Joel N. Ross. 2005. Read by Simon Vance. 9 cds. 11 hrs. Books on-Tape. 1-4159-2158-x. $79.20. Vinyl; plot notes. SA

Tom Hall, an American serving with the British before the US entered WW II, wakes up in the Rowansea Royal Hospital, a kind of military asylum, on December 1, 1941. He is recovering from a severely wounded hand, shell shock, and an allergic reaction to morphine that has kept him from thinking clearly for days. He is convinced that his brother Earl betrayed him and his unit in Crete. Earlier Earl had betrayed him by taking away Harriet, the woman he loved. Tom is recruited by M15 to impersonate Earl in order to get some information from a captured German spy, possibly concerning microfilm about an imminent attack on the US. Given Tom's condition, this is a nightmare fie fights his way through.

British actor Vance has an attractive, deepish voice and manages a range of accents, male and female, very well. He is good at keeping the action moving along and untangling the many plot threads that develop so listeners can keep up with it all. Listeners who can never get enough of WW II intrigue and adventure will enjoy this. Mary Purucker, Beverly Hills PL, Beverly Hills, CA