TRAITOR'S HANDS

Mike Vendetti and Kathy Verduin credibly narrate this 1925 Agatha Christie short story, later retitled "Witness for the Prosecution." Listeners meet Londoner Leonard Vole, who helps elderly spinster Emily French cross a busy street. Lonely Miss French invites Vole to visit and soon entrusts him to handle her considerable fortune. Vendetti skillfully presents Vole's thought processes when he becomes the main suspect in Miss French's murder. Vendetti also portrays the brusque lawyer Mayhew, who, curiously, warns Vole to think carefully before answering any questions asked by the police. Verduin impressively renders Viennese Mrs. Vale, who shocks everyone with her testimony. Most memorable is Verduin's Mrs. Moxen, who cackles like a witch as she presents shocking evidence in a Cockney accent. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2022]