A SHILLING FOR CANDLES

Josephine Tey’s murder mysteries are gems of the genre, and Stephen Thorne is as good a reader as Tey is a writer. When a beautiful film star turns up drowned, Tey’s Inspector Grant of Scotland Yard must sort through an array of British types that include seen-it-all actors; a brilliant and eccentric girl-child; a chief suspect of such charm that no one, including the Inspector, believes him guilty; a society astrologer; and any number of pushy tabloid reporters. Thorne renders these characters with wonderful wit and skill. B.G. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 01]