MURDER IN TIME Ellie Quicke, Book 15

This British series features Ellie Quick, a mystery-solving widow who lives in a London suburb. Narrator Julia Barrie skillfully presents a wide range of emotions and personalities as the Quick household is turned upside down when the housekeeper's past catches up with her. Barrie deftly reflects Vera's shock when her son's father comes to claim the boy he calls Mohammed. Ellie Quick bravely steps in to prove that Abdi was not only an absentee father but also Vera's rapist. Mrs. Quick's lively thoughts, down-to-earth approach, and religious musings are handled with aplomb by Barrie. Her best creation is Mrs. Quick's condescending daughter, Diana, who is mercilessly bossy to her mother. When Mrs. Quick and Vera's son are kidnapped, listeners will cheer Mikey as he outsmarts their kidnappers with all the ingenuity of a 12-year-old boy. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2016]