DEATH AND THE JUBILEE

Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee is the background for this complicated, often gruesome story. Lord Francis Powerscourt is called in to clean up the mystery of a decapitated and handless corpse found floating in the Thames so that Her Majesty's party can roll on unaffected. A myriad of Welsh, Irish, and English men enliven this book, each with his particular accent, which places him either among the nobs or issuing from the gutter. Peter Wickham adds to our enjoyment by nailing each character to a sign post within the British Isles. From what each man says, we hear the class tensions and are not surprised to learn that herein lies the mystery. Wickham does a spiffing job throughout. B.H.B. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/ JUL 06]