CRIME WRITERS AND OTHER ANIMALS

Simon Brett regularly and successfully performs two very different mystery series characters, but his real ability comes forth in these short stories, which demonstrate his range as a writer and a narrator. He is splendid as the stereotypical dried up, has-been author; his Italian mistress performance could stand up against any of the best female narrators; and the love triangle murders will have you guessing to the end. However, he is at his best with the mentally handicapped young man who remembers the manners that his father has drilled into his head so well that he is unable to defend himself against a bullying police detective. These short stories are more than just mysteries; they are wonderful slices of life in which we can all see ourselves and either laugh or cry. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 00]