Unmasked: The Final Years of Michael Jackson
The curious case of Michael Jackson turns curiouser still in the hands of investigative journalist Halperin, who concludes that Jacko likely was not a pedophile, but likely was gay, among other urgent findings. In this audiobook produced just weeks after the singer s death, four-time Audie Award winner Allen reads Halperin s work crisply, with precise diction and restraint, which nicely tempers the occasionally prurient subject matter. In places Halperin does Allen no favors, as the reader quickly realizes that listening to trial transcripts is just as boring as reading them. The same can be said of lengthy television interviews, but the transcripts are central to Halperin s thrust. Author of two pieces probing the possibility that rocker Kurt Cobain was murdered, Halperin decided to film a documentary that would prove Jackson s guilt after the singer was acquitted of child molestation in 1993. To his surprise, he became convinced that Jackson was innocent of those charges, though, in his digging, he came up with more than enough scandalous stuff for this book. Allen gives the sordid saga a veneer of restraint, but at base, this is one fun wallow in celebrity salaciousness that may nonetheless change listeners minds about Jackson s likely guilt or innocence. Mike Tribby 8/26/09 --Booklist--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.