Dancer in the Dust

Thomas H. Cook; Read by Ray Chase

By: Thomas Cook

Narrated by: Ray Chase

Twenty years ago, Ray Campbell, now a cautious risk-management consultant, was a well-intentioned aid worker dedicated to improving conditions in Lubanda, a newly independent African country. He is forced to reconsider that year of living dangerously when a friend from his time in Lubanda is found murdered in a New York alley. Signs suggest that this most recent tragedy is rooted in the far more distant one of Martine Aubert, the only woman Ray ever truly loved and whose fate he’d sealed in a moment of grievous error.

Martine Aubert was a white, native Lubandan farmer whose dream for her homeland starkly conflicted with those charged with its so-called development. But it was Ray’s failure to understand Martine’s commitment to her country that had placed a noose around her neck, one tightened by a circle of vicious men, cruel taunts, and whistling machetes. Ray’s return to the passion he’d once felt for Martine makes A Dancer in the Dust the enthralling and moving story of two loves: Ray’s love for Martine Aubert, and Martine’s for a homeland that did not love her back.

©2014 Original material © 2014 Thomas H. Cook (P)2014 HighBridge Company

A Haunting Story of International Intrigue

What made the experience of listening to Dancer in the Dust the most enjoyable?

It's not often that an author can tackle a controversial topic in an unbiased fashion, but Thomas Cook did just that. At the conclusion of the book, I truly did not know Mr. Cook's personal position on aid to foreign countries, and that's a good thing. Too often I have found that novels are used as opinion pieces and it was a true pleasure to listen to a story unfold without feeling that there was a political agenda at stake.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Martine's strength of character is to admired even though it cost her her life. Her ability to see what would be best for her country, even if her own countrymen wouldn't admit it, proved to be her undoing.

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

Ray Chase is one of my favorite narrators. He seamlessly moves from one character to another without missing a beat. In a book such as Dancer in the Dust, there are many characters with varying accents and his narration makes it easy to distinguish them easily and effortlessly.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Back to Africa - an older, perhaps wiser man returns to discover the impact of the choices he made many years ago.

Any additional comments?

Thomas Cook has the ability to immerse you in his story. Paired with the excellent narration of Ray Chase, this is an audiobook that will keep your suspicions on high alert until the very end. I think I might just listen to it again and look for clues that I might have missed along the way. The ending was a surprise to me - but one that made perfect sense.

A theme

Cook has a major theme. It appears in each book leading the protagonist hurt and scarred. In this one the story is exotic in that Africa is new territory but otherwise it follows the theme. This is a born story teller, and his books are all worth reading. This one is very dark. You will not be a happy camper when you finish.

Yet Another Miss for Cook

Thomas H. Cook used to be one of my favorite author's. His last few books have either bored me or were so bad I couldn't get through them.

I couldn't get though this one. The narrator was good but the story...after 3 hours nothing had really happened. Lots of jumping from the present to the past and none of it was interesting.