Murder at an English Séance

In this eighth installment of Ellicott’s “A Beryl and Edwina Mystery” series (following Murder at a London Finishing School), private enquiry agents Beryl and Edwina are asked to help stop the church organist from playing music at a local medium’s séances. Then the organist is found dead in the medium’s sarcophagus, and adventurous Beryl and always-composed Edwina dive into a full-blown investigation. As listeners might expect, much of the novel’s charm this late in the series comes from Beryl and Edwina’s interactions with the townspeople and their own deepening friendship rather than the investigation. New listeners will not feel lost, but without knowledge of the characters’ backstories, they may be less invested in their journey. Narrator Barbara Rosenblat is, as always, a skilled performer, switching between multiple English accents and an American one with seeming ease. The maturity she lends to Edwina’s voice encourages listeners to remember that sometimes the best adventures come with age and that it’s never too late to take a new path. The remaining cast is easily distinguishable by voice, which is especially appreciated in this novel with many suspects and red herrings.