From Cradle to Grave

Rhys Bowen does a marvelous job of keeping all the balls in the air in this latest installment of the Royal Spyness series. The ongoing characters continue developing their narrative arcs, while organically introducing information that sparks Georgie’s growing suspicion that what initially seem a series of unrelated accidents are, in fact, several perfect and related murders. Almost as much fun as the mystery itself is Fig’s long-overdue comeuppance, and Georgie’s newfound confidence. For those of us outside the U.K., the audible edition is essential to understanding the place regional accents play in that society’s hierarchy. The late, great Katherine Kellgren voiced the first eleven books in the series with aplomb. Jasmine Blackborow, who took over for the next seven, was almost up to Kellgren’s level. Now Gemma Dawson takes over for this nineteenth volume. It’s not an easy act to follow, but she does a serviceable turn.