THE BODY ON THE BEACH

The first choice for an audiobook reader would always be the author himself, if all authors could read. An accomplished actor, Simon Brett does it masterfully, taking particular pleasure in his perfect command of his characters' various accents, moods, and emotional states. Since (unlike some performers) Brett has read the book and perfectly understands the meaning and emphasis needed for every sentence, his rendition makes this well-written entertainment doubly entertaining. The plotting is clever, the set pieces are often delightful, and if the ending is over the top, never mind. It never claimed to be WAR AND PEACE. B.G. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 01]