THE CURSE OF THE COCKERS

Relax for a kinder, gentler murder mystery in the classic British tradition: an engaging puzzle unlikely to trouble your sleep. It may also be read as an homage to a certain kind of genteel, rural community, which must now be an endangered species even in Scotland, where the story is set. The post held so long and honorably by Miss Marple is here assumed by a young couple who breed dogs, when they aren't helping the police over rough patches. Donald Douglas reads with enormous amiability. He sounds a bit older than one estimates the first-person narrator to be, but his tone is perfect. Other characters are given a very satisfactory individuality through subtle shifts of tone and accent, with no hint of display. Here is a model of gracious entertainment. J.N. © AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 99]