THE DOCUMENTS IN THE CASE

The dark tapestry of this mystery is richly woven using the correspondence of several people involved in the life of the victim in the year preceding his death. Through these letters, the authors examine and satirize the characters' personalities, as well as several pertinent issues of the day. The vivid psychological profiles of the key figures are further exaggerated by Nadia May's dramatic inflections. One simpering character is made sickeningly syrupy by the narrator's interpretation, adding to the disturbing, sinister quality of the story. May's crisp, energetic reading of the rest of the novel carries the listener through the detailed analysis of the evidence surrounding the victim's death. Although we're fairly certain from the outset "whodunit," the complexities of the story and the reader's straightforward, well-timed delivery keep us listening to the bitter, but satisfactory, end. J.J.F. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/JUL 00]