THE MURDER ON THE LINKS

This adaptation of a classic Christie whodunit to vintage radio drama format is absolutely delicious. Evocative music and portentous sound effects greatly enhance the fun, and the cast is superb. Many great actors have taken on the fussy little Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, but none better than Alfred Molina here. His Poirot is still punctilious and obsessive, but also warm and funny as he sorts out a blindingly baroque murder plot and keeps insisting it is totally obvious. Simon Helberg charms as Poirot’s enthusiastic young sidekick and the story’s narrator. Kate McAll’s script deftly compresses the puzzle into the length of a stage play, giving the actors ample scope to show off their dramatic chops while keeping the plot coherent. High praise to all. B.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2021 Best Audiobook © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2021]