THE WIFE, THE MAID, AND THE MISTRESS

Narrator Ann Marie Lee's raspy yet melodic voice is an excellent match for Lawhon's fictional solution to a sensational real-life unsolved crime. On August 6, 1930, New York City Judge Joseph Crater got into a cab and was never seen again. Lee's consistent and distinct vocalizations, complete with a variety of accents and dialects, guide listeners through this absorbing story of the three eponymous women and what they may have known about the judge's disappearance. Lee's careful use of emphasis and drama leaves it up to listeners to decide whom to trust while they decipher the clues and spot the red herrings. The waning days of the Roaring Twenties, with their speakeasies, Mob bosses, and Tammany Hall, are brought to life in this character-driven mystery. C.B.L. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2014]