WITH ONE LOUSY FREE PACKET OF SEED

A slapstick comedy with more twists than a stick of licorice, this first novel by Lynne Truss (EATS, SHOOTS & LEAVES) elevates silliness to a fine art. Sad-sack columnist Osborne Lonsdale travels to Devon to interview an American TV celebrity about her garden shed, but kidnappers, murderers, and lunatics provide a more complicated story. Robert Bathurst keeps up with the wild pace of the plot and gives each of the characters a unique voice and accent. While the lone American succumbs to the British stereotype of imitating John Wayne, the rest of the characters, as well as the narrative passages, create a satisfying caper. R.L.L. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 06]