RAGTIME IN SIMLA

In the second of her delightful Detective Joe Sandilands mystery series, English author Barbara Cleverly has ably secured her spot in literature about the British Raj. It’s 1922 in the British summer mountain retreat of Simla. Detective Sandilands is supposed to be vacationing, but within minutes of his arrival, he’s caught up in a murder investigation. Terry Wale, who also narrated the first book in this series, again pleases with his clipped British accent, ability to voice such varied characters as a suave Sikh nobleman and a Cockney actress, and his enthusiasm for the colorful, complex plotting. This is a diverting listen and lots of fun. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 03/JAN 04]