CORDUROY MANSIONS

Simon Prebble’s pacing and vitality shore up this first entry in a new series. McCall Smith’s novel about the residents of a respectable London apartment complex and their extended circles of associates has a few too many beans in the pot. Prebble’s expertise with accents helps with the many characters, including the voices of an obnoxious member of Parliament and the coarse son of a wine merchant. The tiresome story of the MP’s hapless brother-in-law is redeemed by Prebble’s delivery of a funny last-minute drunken scene—but just barely. McCall Smith isn’t subtle about his most fanciful creation, an extraordinary dog, who gives Prebble more to work with. But, overall, precious characters and unresolved stories are a lot to overcome. B.V.M. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2010]