A Talent for Murder

Sometimes, marriages are too good to be true. This, at least, is what newlywed librarian Martha Ratliff starts to discover the day her husband (a traveling salesman of school supplies) comes home from a trip, and she sees him “practicing his smile” before he comes in the house. Unsettled, Martha begins to suspect more of him; namely, that he may be a serial killer. Martha seeks advice from Lily Kintner, a friend from grad school, who might be able to help her unravel the mystery. They meet secretly, enlisting the support of Detective Henry Kimball, thus initiating another engaging installment in Swanson’s “Henry Kimball/Lily Kitner” series (following The Kind Worth Saving). An ensemble of six narrators ably perform the audio, with Saskia Maarleveld and Kathleen Early at the fore with their respective portrayals of Martha and Lily. Though Early’s voicing of Lily is somewhat clipped and stiff, she gains a more natural footing as the book proceeds.