THERE WAS AN OLD WOMAN A Novel of Suspense

Narrator Nan McNamara’s homespun approach is perfect for this light domestic noir. She deftly channels Mina, the spunky 91-year-old heroine whose curiosity and verve fuel the mystery. Fiercely independent, Mina is trying to stay out of the clutches of various scoundrels, most notably her avaricious nephew, Brian. Her only ally is Evie, the much younger daughter of her dying alcoholic neighbor. Despite their differences in age, the two women bond, and McNamara succeeds in delivering convincing portrayals of both of them. She doesn’t do quite as well with the men in the book, who are almost all skunks and tend to sound the same. Still, her playful delivery hits the mark with the author’s clever wordplay and sly humor. A.B.S. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2014]