The Little Sleep.

Mark Genevich is not your run-of-the-mill private eye. He spends much of his time battling narcolepsy. His condition means sleuthing is limited to computer-based investigations and driving is out of the question. But the hunt for the truth behind whether an American Idol–like show finalist hired him or not (is it real or was he dreaming?) gets him out in the real world. Thorne’s narration is spot-on: he is quirky, caustic, and self-effacing, just as you’d imagine the unlikely hero to be. Run-ins with Boston tough guys, including the D.A. himself, evoke memories of Genevich’s long-dead father, and it’s in this investigation that Genevich finally reconciles his boyhood memories. The question of whether any given episode is real or fictional keeps the action moving, and Thorne’s steady reading pace boosts the drama. Thorne portrays Genevich’s fragile emotional state with the right balance of angst and cockiness in this enjoyable audio.