THE WENCH IS DEAD

It is generally true that authors do not make the best narrators for their own works. There are exceptions, with Dexter being a great exception. However, knowledge of both Morse and Dexter would enhance the listening experience since Dexter brings so much of himself to his splendid creation. Morse is in the hospital when he, by chance, encounters a booklet about a murder in the Oxford Canal. He brilliantly unravels the 150-year-old mystery from his hospital bed with the assistance of hospital staff, patients, visitors and the ever faithful Lewis. Dexter's timing, pronunciation and pace are the result of the author-narrator reading. This story, given its style, could have lacked dimension but Dexter's wit and knowledge of his work keep the tale as lively and involving as any present-day, action-packed mystery. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/NOV 00]