THE MISSING AMERICAN

Robin Miles's expressive narration of Kwei Quartey's new mystery series about private investigator Emma Djan adds a colorful layer of atmosphere to an engaging story. Set in Accra, the plot revolves around the search for an American widower who disappears after coming from the U.S. to meet a Ghanaian widow he has encountered online. Emma, whose combination of smarts, social subservience, and determination are beautifully voiced, teams up with the widower's son to investigate a case that takes them into an underworld of fetish priests and Internet scams. Miles illuminates men and women, including a terrifying fetish priest, with well-chosen accents and characterizations, and helps listeners navigate Ghana's prejudicial social norms with a keep-calm narration. Long may the investigations continue with Miles, Quartey, and Djan. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2020]