A Fatal Attachment - Hardcover

Along with achieving national fame as a biographer, Lydia Perceval becomes famous as a corpse. This complex mystery, intricately crafted by Barnard, becomes an intriguing performance as Davidson expertly brings the characters to life and deftly enacts the storyline. He uses a variety of voices and British accents to instill each character with a specific personality and individuality. Smooth shifts in speech patterns and inflections provide flawless transitions between characters. The wide variation of emotions is adeptly managed without confusing the listener. Davidson's superb reading complements Barnard's story while providing a high standard of performance and guaranteed listening pleasure. P.A.J. An AUDIOFILE Earphones Award winner (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

A veteran crime writer with seven Edgar nominations, Barnard ( A Scandal in Belgravia ) here crafts another gem. Supt. Mike Oddie and Det. Charlie Peace of the West Yorkshire Police are in the village of Bly investigating the strangling of Lydia Perceval, 50ish author of bestselling "shapely, aesthetically satisfying" biographies. A cold manipulator, Lydia had alienated her nephews Gavin and Maurice from their parents, married the brother of the man she loved (and ended the marriage when her husband didn't measure up to her high standards) and had lately cultivated the two teenage sons of a sick mother and workaholic father. She'd even decided to leave the new boys some money before she was murdered. Oddie and Peace must work through the stories of the locals (a spooning couple see a bearded stranger near Lydia's house) and Lydia's kin (the ex-husband newly moved to a nearby farm; her sister Thea, still devastated by Gavin's death in the Falklands war) to trace the murderer. The book's pleasure comes from Barnard's easy use of police procedures, his subtle characterization and his eye for village color. Lydia is a delicious monster, and the ambiguous ending delivers an extra kick. Readers Digest Condensed Books selection; Mystery Guild main selection; paperback rights to Avon.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.