THE IRON TONGUE OF MIDNIGHT

In the fourth Tito Amato mystery, castrato Tito and his artist brother-in-law, Gussie, are invited to the Dolfinos' country villa—Tito to star in a new opera and Gussie to do paintings of their vineyards. An unidentified man is found murdered in a hallway, the leading lady in the troupe of musicians turns out to be Tito's long-lost sister, more murders occur, and timely explanatory letters from Tito's brother in Constantinople deepen the puzzle. Descriptions of the customs and the countryside of eighteenth-century Italy are colorful, thanks to Geoffrey Blaisdell's capable reading. Blaisdell's first-person narration as Tito is appealing, and his other characterizations are nicely understated. The plotting is swift, if predictable, but listeners won't mind the contrivances since it's all a lot of fun. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2008]