THE DISCREET CHARM OF THE BIG BAD WOLF Detective Varg, Book 4

David Rintoul returns to the role of Detective Ulf Varg in another charming trip to the Department of Sensitive Crimes. This time around Alexander McCall Smith's tongue-in-cheek take on the dour Scandi noir genre sees Ulf investigating the missing cabin of a bacon magnate while negotiating potential downsizing at work. Meanwhile, Ulf's girlfriend is convinced that his deaf dog, Martine, needs experimental cochlear implant surgery. Rintoul strikes the perfect balance of seriousness and satire, drawing out each improbable suspect interview and meandering conversation about trivialities to the brink of absurdity without tipping over. His tone of wry affability as Ulf and his voicings of the various secondary characters, such as the kind but pedantic Blomquist, will keep listeners absorbed and smiling. N.M. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2023]