THE ELIXIR OF DEATH

In this addition to the successful series about Sir John de Wolfe, a twelfth-century Exeter coroner, the murders of a manor lord and a ship's captain have something to do with mysterious strangers and hidden alchemists in the countryside. Paul Matthews, who has narrated the complete series, handles the complexities easily. He offers believable accents and telling vocal characterizations of everyone from the gruff Norman Crowner, his fretful Saxon clerk, and his sweet Welsh mistress to the devious former sheriff and a single-minded Scottish alchemist. Unfortunately, Matthews's admirably smooth narration can't cover Knight's increasingly lazy writing--using the same adjective twice in one sentence is typical. Nevertheless, fans of accurate historical mysteries will enjoy this offering. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/ JUL 07]