THE CLUE Fleming Stone, Book 1

Originally published in the 1900s, Carolyn Wells's Fleming Stone mysteries were very popular. Now in the public domain, they're looking for a new audience as audiobooks. Sadly, this first audiobook in the series, narrated without distinction by John C. Winson, may not garner a bevy of listeners. When a wealthy heiress dies from a knife wound on the eve of her wedding, lawyer Rob Fessenden searches for clues until Stone arrives and quickly solves the case. Winson's performance is marred by his unnaturally loud voice for Fessenden, his too quiet voices for additional characters, and his vocally stereotyped portrayals of women. Despite the publisher's blurb, Wells is no Agatha Christie, and the story does a good bit of lurching about before rushing pell-mell to the end. S.G. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2024]