KILLINGLY

Rachel Botchan impressively conveys this disturbing story based on an actual unsolved murder in 1800s Killingly, Connecticut, and Boston. When Mount Holyoke student Bertha Mellish disappears, listeners meet her family and other students from the college, including her best friend, Agnes. Botchan deftly re-creates the period diction, snobbish members of the upper class, domineering teachers, and people who are prejudiced against female scholars, queerness, and the poor. Botchan's most compelling and dramatically rendered portrayal is that of sinister Agnes, who enjoys working with animal carcasses and is determined to keep Bertha's secrets. Botchan also delivers letters and historical documents well. Happily, the story's one-dimensional characters and glacial pace are somewhat mitigated by audio. It's a relief when the authorities finally arrive at the shocking conclusion. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2024]