THE CRAZY KILL

During a party in Harlem, a drunk Reverend Short falls out a window, only to be saved by huge basket of bread. When he looks out the window again, there’s a dead man in the basket. Written in 1959, this mystery is full of wonderfully stereotypical characters, portrayed by Dion Graham in a silky voice. Every question and answer has more than one possible meaning, and detectives Grave Digger Jones and Coffin Ed Johnson are forced to sift through them all to find the deeply buried truth. Graham’s characterizations of gangsters, preachers, and thieves are energetic and imaginative, especially when the action heats up. This period whodunit is a treat for listeners who enjoy hearing zany characters brought to life with panache. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2012]