SNOBBERY WITH VIOLENCE

This fluffy page-turner, set among the Edwardian upper crust, introduces a new detective destined for sequels. She is young, high-spirited Lady Rose Summer, too intelligent, independent, and educated to snag a suitable husband, especially after a public faux pas that brands her as damaged goods. As Watson she has Daisy, a sharp-witted lady’s maid and confidante, and as potential lovers, a worldly nobleman and a working-class copper. The murder and solution are secondary to the interaction of personalities amid class frictions, especially as interpreted by Davina Porter, whose superb vocal skills add lively grace notes, poignancy to the plight of Rose in her gilded cage, and delightful colors to the portrait of Daisy. Thus, Porter makes this period piece sound more interesting than it would appear on the page. Y.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 06/ JAN 07]