The Dead Fathers Club by Matt Haig (2007, Unabridged, Compact Disc)

Haig’s modern-day spin-off of “Hamlet” is a stand-alone serio-comic literary thriller that examines the world through the eyes of a quirky, sensitive 11-year old boy, who is struggling gamely with the perils of adolescence on the one hand and the death of his father on the other. Shortly after his pub-owner dad is killed in a car accident, Philip Noble is visited by his ghost, now a member of the “Dead Father’s Club,” an otherworldly paternal organization for unavenged murder victims. The spirit points the finger at his garage-owner brother, claiming that Uncle Alan tampered with his vehicle in order to get both the pub and Philip’s mom all to himself. Philip has until his father’s next birthday, less than 11 weeks away, to avenge his death and spare him eternal torment.

Though Haig’s debt to “Hamlet” is amply acknowledged – and often in subtle and unexpected ways – this book is an original: thoughtful, funny, suspense-filled, poignant and very, very wise. Reader Andrew Dennis, only twelve years old, is already an audio force to be reckoned with. His expressive, beautifully paced and consummately acted reading is, in a word, perfect. Whether you're a young adult or simply young at heart, don't miss this audio.