THE RED QUEEN

Detective Superintendent Richard Jury's fans may enjoy listening to Steve West reprise his role as narrator par excellence for the 26th installment in the series. West's consummate comedic timing and lively variation between a brisk cadence and aristocratic speech enliven a rather jumbled offering from author Grimes, now in her 90s. Jury and his assistant, Wiggins, investigate the bizarre shooting death of businessman Tom Treadnor, whose murder is complicated by the mysterious disappearance of his doppelganger. Speaking of disappearances, Wiggins's sister, who vanished five years earlier, has sent their mum a cryptic postcard, compelling Wiggins to go find her. All of the usual characters are here in a puzzle with a bit too many disparate pieces. But all are held together by West's stellar employment of accents, pitch, and intonation. S.G. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2025]