THE FIG TREE MURDER

Bill Wallis's powerful characterization of Owen Gareth, head of Cairo's secret police, gives an authentic flavor to this exotic Middle Eastern murder mystery. With his versatile range and skill, Wallis accurately depicts both genders, as well as multiple accents and nationalities. When a body is found at the new electric railroad construction site, a territorial dispute turns political and pits new Egypt against old Egypt. Wallis matches voice to mood as tensions rise when Owen's superiors, foreign investors, and local Islamic leaders demand an investigation that Owen considers to be outside his jurisdiction. The murder is linked to the mysterious fig tree believed to be the Tree of the Virgin. Wallis’s capable performance gives authenticity to Middle Eastern religious and societal tensions as they impact the investigation. G.D.W. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2009]