EVIL UNDER THE SUN

Poirot attempts to get away from it all at the seaside, where he encounters Christie's usual international cast of characters. Since many of these eccentrics are stereotypes, David Suchet's wonderful rendering of the henpecked husband dutifully uttering "yes, darling"; the machine-gun verbal delivery of Westin; and the always volatile mix of English and Irish accents and temperaments all combine to surpass a straight reading. These delicious ingredients mix successfully with the complex story of the beautiful Arlena's murder and the many suspects who all possess motive, means, and opportunity, as Poirot cleverly reveals. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 02]