FATHER GILBERT MYSTERIES 3 The Play's the Thing and Lady Gray

Father Gilbert, an Anglican priest and former Scotland Yard detective, undertakes the solution of two mysteries, one involving "accidents" plaguing a theatrical troupe, the other a pattern of murders inspired by a mysterious woman. The acting, music, and production are fully professional, helping the reader become engaged with the stories. But Father Gilbert himself never becomes fully three-dimensional, despite holding center stage. Also, there’s something unconvincing in the denouements of both mysteries, a fault of the writing, not the performances. They’re entertaining--“Lady Gray" can even be chilling--up to their disappointing endings. W.M. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE/JULY 05]