THE LEDBURY LAMPLIGHTERS

Terry Wale's cultured diction and smooth tones make listening to the third in the Inspector Ravenscroft series a real treat. Wale draws listeners in as, on Christmas Eve, 1888, a carriage driver leaves a secret package with a Ledbury solicitor, then disappears. On New Year's Eve, a Ledbury tradition of extinguishing all the lights to see in the New Year is underway. Just as wealthy banker Nathaniel Montacute begins his toast, he clutches his throat and drops down dead. DI Ravenscroft and Constable Crabb uncover a complicated story of intrigue and murder that threaten the very stability of the country. Wale gives each character--from Ravenscroft's wife, Lucy, to lamplighters, bankers, and the devious murderer--credible voices and accents as they deliver the convoluted, engaging plot. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2013]