THE PATIENT IN ROOM 18

Ann Richardson's spirited narration keeps listeners focused on the debut entry in Eberhart's popular Nurse Sarah Keate mysteries, first published in 1929. Room 18 at St. Ann's Hospital has a dark history, which grows even darker when a patient being treated with radium is murdered and the radium is stolen. Sarah and Detective O'Leary work together to find the missing metal and the killer. As the bodies pile up, some predictable situations slow the plot, but Richardson's entertaining performance maintains interest. She handles the exposition and occasional slow spots with expressive tones, credible character development, and appropriate pacing. Richardson presents a clever audiobook filled with possible suspects, red herrings, and police procedures that remain surprisingly contemporary. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2024]