A DEAD MAN IN TRIESTE

Anything Clive Mantle reads is worth listening to, and Michael Pearce's new series featuring Sandor Seymour of Britain's Special Branch is a perfect showcase for his talent. In Trieste, circa 1906, Seymour is called in to investigate the disappearance of Lomax, a British consul. When Lomax's body is found, Seymour gets down to business, infiltrating Lomax's circle and uncovering the consul's involvement with forged identity papers, anarchists, futurists, and a gorgeous model named Maddalena. Mantle's accents are exact, and his performance handles Pearce's convoluted plot and intriguing characters with aplomb, at the same time endearing Seymour to listeners by emphasizing his wit, intelligence, and ingenuous style of investigation. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 06]