SHAKESPEARE'S LANDLORD

Unconventional sleuth Lily Bard discovers a body in Shakespeare, Arkansas, where she’s a young, reclusive cleaning lady with a penchant for martial arts. Two mysteries surround this audacious detective: her dark past and the baffling death of a local landlord. Charlaine Harris imbues these characters with her signature quirkiness and vigor. Julia Gibson warmly performs Lily's youthful, energetic banter, which reflects her strong, capable personality. Gibson cleverly manipulates the pacing, becoming more animated as the action picks up. She deftly segues to the quavering voice of elderly characters, brawny males, and Arkansan natives with distinctive accents. Suspenseful hints at Lily's horrific background place her directly in the spotlight as the key suspect in the local crime, prompting her to strike out on her own to identify the real killer. A.W. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2011]