THE SECRET FATE OF MARY WATSON

The year is 1879, and all 19-year-old Mary Oxnam wants is to make her way in the world on her own terms. But what she steps into is a web of lies as she becomes involved in a smuggling operation on a far north island in Queensland. Eloise Oxer portrays the inquisitive and resourceful Mary in an even, understated tone that serves as an anchor in the midst of the intrigue that surrounds Mary. The ring of smugglers includes a French brothel owner, a Scots slug fisherman with a deep, rough voice, and a suitably posh-sounding Englishman. Mary herself is Cornish, and Oxer’s portrayal has a bit of a Celtic lilt to it. The forward momentum of Oxer’s narration and Johnson’s lush descriptions make the listener eager to learn Mary’s fate. E.N. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2012]