A STUDY IN SCARLET

The first of the Sherlock Holmes novels, A STUDY IN SCARLET (1877) takes the listener to an early Mormon settlement in Utah, as well as to Baker Street and its environs. This represents a challenge for British narrator Davidson, as he must endure long passages of dialogue in American accents. His Americans are a wee bit throaty, and occasionally the reading is perfunctory, as though Davidson can't wait to reach the end. Of course, the end of a detective story is always the most entertaining part, and listeners and fans of Holmes and Watson will have little difficulty staying with this performance until its climax. D.B. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 00]