Limelight & Larceny

The Crew-Building Con

By: Jordan Riley Swan, Hero Bowen

Narrated by: Hillary Huber, Anthony Mark Barrow, Michael Crouch, Sarah Mollo-Christensen, Erin Spencer, Graham Halstead, Andrew Eiden, P.J. Ochlan, Peter Berkrot, Ray Porter, Adenrele Ojo, Andi Arndt

Length: 10 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

These actors are going to steal more than the show.

This full-cast audiobook, featuring 11 different voice actors, and narrated by Hillary Huber, take on the roles of the Tandem Players, a group of community theater actors that love their community theater almost as much as they love the sweet old landlady who gave them a home to perform their plays in over the years. But when she passes away, and the will that was to leave the Broadtown Theater to the acting troupe disappears, they don’t even have time to mourn their loss. Her son comes in like a wrecking ball, brandishing a 20-year-old will and an ultimatum: leave, or be buried under the rubble when he has the place demolished.

The ragtag group of actors - a street magician, a former stuntwoman, an IT student, an FX specialist, a leading man, and their stage manager - will have to pool their talents and steal the will back. And they’ll have to act fast, because the next wrecking ball that swings in is going to be a real one.

©2021 Jordan Riley Swan (P)2021 Jordan Riley Swan

Impressive acting with a mediocre plot

I might be a little harsh calling the story mediocre, but it didn't, at any point, impress me with any exciting twists or unique storytelling. The acting was well above expectations however.

The characters were a touch cookie-cutter, but had enough uniqueness to them to avoid it being a major issue. The actors really shined though. Many characters, being actors, were portraying characters, so the actors were voicing a character on stage (or in the con) who was acting as another person entirely. It really showed their range and skill. If anything is worth your time in this audiobook, it's the voice work.

There were a few decisions by established characters that I felt were out of place or forced and there was a scene that had tension building toward it, but was eventually told in a passive voice that really lost the excitement that the story seemed to be leading to. The book is enjoyable in that it's a fun romp, but really lacked in surprises for the audience. Some characters showed growth and others received the result the audience expected from the beginning. One, in particular, didn't really have an end to their story - as if she was forgotten after she was used as a plot device to encourage the decisions of a male character.

I'll rate this one as "A 1990's PG-rated network crime TV-movie with some excellent voice acting."