THE WITHDRAWING ROOM

In this second contemporary mystery featuring Sarah Kelling, the young, penniless widow is forced to turn her four-story brownstone in the heart of Boston into a boardinghouse. It seems the perfect solution until two boarders, both occupants of the withdrawing room suite, are brutally murdered a few weeks apart. Already an enthusiastic amateur detective, Sarah is helped by her basement boarder, art expert Max Bittersohn, to untangle the knotted truth, which is tied up with rare Hawaiian artifacts. Mary Peiffer's versatile voice helps keep the large cast of roomers and relatives sorted, using a wide array of distinctive accents and a 20-something wistfulness for Landlady Sarah. Listeners will wonder who'll be withdrawn next. E.V. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/JUL 02]