THE TROUTBECK TESTIMONY

With multiple subplots, twists, and red herrings, this cozy British mystery set in the Lakes District keeps the listener guessing on many levels. Julia Franklin narrates with admirable enthusiasm, voicing the characters in an English village with fitting attitudes and accents. Florist Persimmon "Simmy" Brown's fledgling business casts her into the middle of small-town politics and passions, where even the floral arrangement for a funeral holds a clue to the mystery. Franklin does a nice job navigating the emotional hurdles of the protagonist and maintains a good pace to the denouement, allowing listeners to sort out the subplots. L.M.A. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2016]