ONE ACROSS, TWO DOWN

With a hopeless future and only his crossword puzzles to comfort him, Stanley plots to inherit his mother-in-law's money and winds up entangled in two deaths and in partnership with a con-artist. The rich depth of Nick Henson's voice is ideal for the story's mood of foreboding and despair. Henson's clear and natural voice maintains the tension, especially as he conveys Stanley's mental confusion. He creates the British working-class accents of Stanley and his wife as convincingly as he portrays the educated tones of the bankers and lawyers. Expertly and smoothly, Henson moves from one character to another, never breaking the flow of the story. P.A.J. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 02]