THE BLOOD DETECTIVE

In Dan Waddell’s debut novel, Colin Mace uses a no-nonsense narration style that at times seems like the British equivalent of Sergeant Joe Friday of “Dragnet.” The book features professional genealogist Nigel Barnes, whom Scotland Yard has recruited to help solve a series of brutal murders in which all of the corpses are marked with “1A137.” The number corresponds to the death certificate of a man who was murdered in 1879, on the same day as one of the current victims. Mace’s performance is all business, his delivery a bit sing-song yet highly effective, particularly because Barnes comes across so well as a clever and likable character with a unique perspective. D.J.S. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2010]