THE TARNISHED CHALICE The Twelfth Chronicle of Matthew Bartholomew

Getting acquainted with all the ecclesiastical titles and the roles of church functionaries poses an initial problem for listeners of this fourteenth-century murder mystery set in the cathedral town of Lincoln. Narrator Andrew Wincott helps us through the clerical confusion, as well as portraying town activists with an impressive array of unique voices. While the first chapters are difficult going, the pace eventually picks up, and listeners become as eager as poor Brother Michael to find out who is behind a series of poisonings. Like all Gregory novels, this one shows in-depth scholarship and attention to historical detail. We're lucky to have Wincott's energetic telling to help us through the meandering passages. D.L.G. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 08]