THE GLASS ROOM Vera Stanhope, Book 5

Narrator Charlie Hardwick gleefully captures the grumpy personality, sharp tongue, and hidden heart of gold of Vera Stanhope, a police detective in the north of England. In this installment, Vera is investigating a murder at a writer's program, and the list of suspects includes Vera's hippie neighbor, Joanna. Hardwick's timing is impeccable for Vera's honest and self-deprecating humor. Periodically, the author shifts perspective, and Hardwick adjusts her accent and tone to distinguish the different characters. Vera's sidekick, Joe Ashworth, quietly questions Vera's conflict of interest and exhibits flashes of impatience. Hardwick adopts a softer tone for tutor Nina Backworth to denote the measured academic but adds fearful notes when Nina is threatened. A whodunit further elevated by an appealing and energetic narrator. A.B. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2018]