The Interrogation

By: Thomas H. Cook

Narrated by: George Guidall

The Interrogation is a desperate race against time and a gripping journey into the darkest corners of the human soul.

One day in 1952, the strangled body of 10-year-old Cathy Lake is discovered in a public park. A homeless suspect, Albert Jay Smalls, is arrested and held for interrogation. Officers Norman Cohen and Jack Pierce have only 24 hours to make the sullen young man talk before he's released. How far are they willing to push him to get a confession?

As the two policemen gather the many contradictory pieces of evidence, the boundaries between hunter and prey, guilty and innocent, begin to blur.

Thomas H. Cook is a master of the surprise ending, and The Interrogation is sure to leave every listener stunned. Audie Award-winning narrator George Guidall's performance captures the dramatic urgency of this deeply disturbing tale.

©2006 Thomas H. Cook (P)2006 Recorded Books LLC

Critic reviews

"Employing flashbacks and parallel action while in the interrogation frame, Cook adroitly weaves back and forth between the crime itself, the subsequent investigation and the halting questioning of the suspect." (Publishers Weekly)

Satisfying, but difficult to follow

Begins @ WWII, then seems to transform to modern times, unable to determine if subsequent action takes place in past or present.

Interrogation

If you could sum up The Interrogation in three words, what would they be?

Through The Night

Who was your favorite character and why?

The victim, because nobody believed him.

Have you listened to any of George Guidall’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No, just frustrating at times.

Any additional comments?

Good book, narrator was excellent, just wish the characters were made a little more clearer.
LOVED THE ENDING!!!!! 😈

Excellent plot, well written, and very well narrated

Pleasantly reminiscent of Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone, or the movies The Interview or Frailty. Great narration, great read!

A classic.

Excellent story. Excellent narration (maybe the best I have heard). Thomas Cook creates characters as vivid and exciting as Hemingway. George Guidall then brings them to life. I did not think one man could voice act so many characters at once!

It makes you think twice.

This was a book that makes me wonder how many interrogations go on like this. Hopefully, this doesn't happen often anymore. I encourage people to read it.

Questionable

Writer tried to make this idea work, but he took too long. He seemed to know little about child murderers. Plot device -- story emerges as cops interrogate suspect -- dated back to the days of the Saturday Evening Post. Gotta be real patient and real naive to dig this thing.

Never gets off the ground

What disappointed you about The Interrogation?

The plot and characters shift around leaving the reader wondering what's going on. I just couldn't get into the story.

What didn’t you like about George Guidall’s performance?

It starts out fine with a low key performance adequate to noir. But after a while it's just plain dull.

Any additional comments?

I don't think I'll look for another Thomas Cook novel.