AN INSTANCE OF THE FINGERPOST

Which of the four equally persuasive narrators of this intelligent and riveting period whodunit is telling the truth about the poisoning of Dr. Robert Grove? They all are, depending on one's definition of the truth. And this novel, set in the height of the Restoration, is as much an exploration of how an era defined its truths as it is a murder mystery. Paul Michael's reading more than compensates for any period details lost in the near-seamless abridgment of Iain Pears's bestseller. Michael's superb narration rings true to the sensibilities and air of political intrigue of seventeenth-century England while adding complexity and nuance to the story's characters. G.B.C. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/NOV 98]