THE FALLEN ANGEL

Saul Reichlin's narration falls far short of enhancing this mystery, which in itself is complex and interesting. Reichlin sounds like a stuffy British lecturer rather than the quick-witted Roman detective Nic Costa. In this ninth Costa mystery, a professor falls to his death from scaffolding and lands almost at Costa's feet. Was the fall an accident, suicide, or murder? As Costa investigates, he learns that the death is tied to a similar incident in the sixteenth century and that the street where it happened is named for an executed murderer. The plot is well crafted, but the listener is often distracted by Reichlin's stiff-sounding British accent and slow pacing. A.L.H. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2012]