THE STABBING IN THE STABLES

Simon Brett's alliterative mysteries, set in the fictional English village of Fethering, are always engaging, even when dealing with such unsavory topics as knife attacks and horse mutilation. The challenge faced by protagonists Carole and Jude is how to solve a murder without any of the resources available to the police. Their strength is that people rarely take middle-aged women seriously. They triumph through doggedness, ingenuity, and sheer nosiness, all lubricated with a lot of Chilean Chardonnay in their local pub. As the main characters are female, a male narrator is an interesting choice, but Ralph Cosham's cozy delivery is surprisingly suited to the female sleuths, if a little marred by some Americanized pronunciations. C.A.T. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2009]