An uncharacteristic and breath-taking thriller.

A group of swindlers creates a contrived occult sect to smuggle and sell drugs. But they didn’t count on Scotland Yard Inspector Roderick Alleyn and his perceptive wife, Agatha Troy, who just happen to have a distant cousin in the sect. Nadia May brings all her storytelling expertise to the complicated plot, managing to keep the numerous characters distinct and identifiable. She ably imparts a suitable accent to the French characters and also conveys a credible portrayal of an Egyptian. May possesses a rare ability to narrate children’s voices, giving them a youthful pitch and undeveloped enunciation without the squeakiness so often heard from adult readers of children’s parts. R.P.L. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine