FALCONER AND THE GREAT BEAST

Move over, Brother Cadfael! Falconer is a worldly priest, teaching and solving crimes in Oxford during the time of Henry II. The great beast of the title is an elephant, a gift to His Majesty from the Mongol delegation that has come for secret negotiations on behalf of Kublai Khan. When the principal delegate falls victim to an unknown assassin, Falconer must unearth the perpetrator. This brief historical whodunit offers vividly drawn characters and an intriguing plot. Narrator Stephen Thorne underplays the dramatic moments and excels at impersonating the dramatis personae. Y.R. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 04]