THE ORIGINAL

Kristin Atherton narrates the story of Grace, a young woman who is isolated at her unpleasant aunt's rambling English mansion at the close of the Victorian era. Grace's obsession with secretly painting perfect copies of famous works of art is interrupted when a man claiming to be her long-lost cousin Charles arrives to claim his inheritance. Atherton portrays the self-possessed and enigmatic Grace with cool intensity. Charles's backstory is gradually revealed in chapters narrated by Matthew Spencer. His even-keeled portrayal and the captivating plot keep the listener guessing until the end whether Charles is an imposter. The family inheritance is at stake, causing Grace and Charles to engage in a shadowy cat-and-mouse game. Does it matter if something--or someone--is a forgery? N.M.C. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2025]