A Daughter of Fair Verona

In Dodd’s cozy mystery take on Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet survive their act-five suicide attempts and go on to marry each other and raise precocious, well-reasoned children. Foremost among these is Rosaline (also known as Rosie), who balks at romance and has sabotaged multiple betrothals. She’s educated, quick-thinking, and a good judge of character. Then her parents get an offer they can’t refuse, and Rosie must marry a duke whose past wives have died under mysterious circumstances. At her betrothal ball, Rosie finally succumbs to love at first sight but then finds the duke’s corpse and is accused of murder. People are happy to believe a 20-year-old spinster is a killer, so it’s up to Rosie to solve the case. Suzy Jackson delivers each literary witticism (including occasional fart jokes) perfectly, creating an utterly enjoyable voice for Rosie’s narration. The clever mystery is outshone by the humor and characters, whom listeners will hope to meet again soon. While the romantic elements are a bit uneven, the brightness Jackson adds to Rosie’s voice will carry listeners past much.