The Cold Hard Light
About this audiobook
The Cold Hard Light is a spare and bracing literary debut that tells the story of a new father who falls into the grip of obsession.
The novel begins when the man who assaulted Andrew Harrison’s sister is released from prison. Benjamin Williams was barely more than a kid when he was sentenced to eleven years, but it is impossible to know what he has become since. Andrew, nicknamed H, is compelled to learn for himself when his uncle Billy hands him a gun and says to go find the man. As H’s interest in Williams grows, he struggles to keep his world in balance. His hockey career has stalled, his girlfriend suffers from postpartum depression that is neither understood nor diagnosed, and the allure of vengeance threatens to erase his moral self.
Set in present-day Boston, The Cold Hard Light explores the drama of modern American urban life, where the poor work gig jobs that cater to the rich, where race can be weaponized, guns are treated like toys, and the desire to blame others trumps the need to understand them. These forces and more weigh upon the characters in this crystalline novel, hurtling them toward an irrevocable conclusion.
About the author
Christopher Amenta received his undergraduate degree from the College of the Holy Cross and his MFA from Boston University, where he has taught creative writing. Christopher is currently at work on his second novel. He lives in Boston with his wife and daughters.
Chris Andrew Ciulla is a versatile performer with over 50 audiobook credits to his name. The genres of his titles range from mystery/thriller to sci-fi, to fantasy and romance. He also excels at sports-related nonfiction, being a former sports radio host and frequent show guest. He's a boxing expert who is a commentator for professional matches. In addition to frequent film, television, and on-camera commercial work, Chris has voiced characters for the popular video game titles Fallout 4 and Mafia III, and can be heard in national commercial campaigns. AudioFile magazine reviewed a recent performance: "Narrator Chris Ciulla adopts a slight accent to illustrate her Lithuanian roots and adds a slight tremulousness to his timbre so that Ona sounds old but still spry and spirited... Ciulla's open performance and slightly hurried pacing for the boy perfectly translate his unfiltered but sweet nature... Quinn didn't always fulfill his parental responsibilities but Ciulla makes his fundamental decency and kindness clear to the listener."
