BURY YOUR DEAD

Ralph Cosham’s excellent narration of Louise Penny’s newest mystery demonstrates why a terrific narrator is an author’s best partner. In this book, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec takes on two murder cases although he’s nominally on leave. Cosham, who has narrated all the books in the series, brings a sensitivity of pacing that helps listeners understand the complexities of the interwoven plotlines. He offers a deep reading of Gamache, emphasizing a level personality that’s sometimes sharp, often witty. And he delivers lovely character studies of everyone from young Québecois beat cops to elderly Anglo librarians. Plus, he easily pronounces the French phrases scattered throughout the text. My only quibble is that the Penny-Cosham team kept me listening past my bedtime. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2010]