Origin

By: Diana Abu-Jaber

Narrated by: Elisabeth Rodgers

Lena is a fingerprint expert at a crime lab in the small city of Syracuse, New York, where winters are cold and deep. Suddenly, a series of crib deaths - indistinguishable from SIDS except for the fevered testimony of one distraught mother with connections in high places - draws the attention of the police and the national media and raises the possibility of the inconceivable: could there be a serial infant murderer on the loose?

Orphaned as a child, out of place as an adult, gifted with delicate and terrifying powers of intuition, Lena finds herself playing a critical role in the case. But then there is the mystery of her own childhood to solve. Could the improbable deaths of a half-dozen babies be somehow connected to her own improbable survival?

©2007 Diana Abu-Jaber (P)2009 BBC Audio

Annoying Narrator

This is a well-written crime novel with a bit more introspection than the usual police procedural. There is thoughtful consideration of the setting - Syracuse NY - and characters have depth and interesting inner lives. However there is a bit too much fantasy for my taste. I can see why this aspect of the novel wasn't mentioned in the plot summary - I wouldn't have purchased the book. But, even with this element, the story still held my interest and was appealing in a "look-forward-to-my-commute" sort of way.

However, for some reason the narrator felt the need to YELL ALL THE CHARACTERS (yes, that annoying) except for the protagonist, whose spouse was especially abrasive. I did not want to spend even one minute with that guy, one of many who were over-dramatized in an unlikeable way. I got tired of constantly adjusting the volume on my iPod.

I am not a fan of drama. I read in order to get away from the drama of real life and get a little peace and sanity, so perhaps this is one listen that would read better in print.

Some really compelling writing, but

I was intrigued by the lead chatacters and liked the flow of Abu-Jaber's writing. I could see the killer coming for a while.