A Foot in the Grave - Softcover

Joan Delano Aiken (1924-2004) was the daughter of the American poet, Conrad Aiken. Joan had a variety of jobs, including working for the BBC, the United Nations Information Centre and then as features editor for a short story magazine. Her first children's novel, The Kingdom of the Cave, was published in 1960. Joan Aiken wrote over a hundred books for young readers and adults and is recognized as one of the classic authors of the twentieth century. Her best-known books are those in the James III saga, of which The Wolves of Willoughby Chase was the first title, published in l962 and awarded the Lewis Carroll prize. Both that and Black Hearts in Battersea have been filmed. Her books are internationally acclaimed and she received the Edgar Allan Poe Award in the United States as well as the Guardian Award for Fiction in this country for The Whispering Mountain. In 1999 Joan Aiken was awarded an MBE for her services to children's books.

Shivery, creepy tales allow Denica Fairman to showcase her range of accents as she capably pulls off British, Scottish, Italian, American and Canadian characters. Although she reads some stories with little voicing, most have highly differentiated characters. Some are exceptionally effective, such as Zia Tisna, whose high, quivery voice is thick with the sounds of Sicily, and Aunt Ada, whose officious brogue makes her despicable. Other characters are grating, particularly males, such as the student and the lumbering art historian and insect exterminator, whose voices would better match those of simple-minded cartoon characters. Unfortunately, editing decisions were not always made with the listener in mind. Stories break at odd junctures for side or cassette changes, often close to the end of a story. Forgiving listeners will enjoy the spooky tales, however, and some memorable characterizations. T.B. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine