THE SILENT WOMAN

In Nicholas Bracewell's sixth adventure with the Elizabethan acting company Westfield's Men, events are as dramatic as ever. A fire at the Queen's Head leaves the company without a performance venue, forcing them to tour the provinces. Narrator David Thorpe brings all the histrionics one could hope for to the many over-the-top theatrical types, while giving Bracewell himself a boyish charm. When a messenger from Bracewell's hometown is poisoned and dies before delivering her message, Bracewell sets out to discover who murdered her. Thorpe brings humor to the ragtag thespians, even as they face plague and a fleecing by master criminal Israel Gunby. As someone tries to ensure that Bracewell never arrives home, Thorpe keeps the tension high and the atmosphere tense. Fun listening. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2015]