Sparkling Cyanide

Starred review from July 30, 2012
Sean Baker’s performance of Colonel Race—one of Christie’s minor sleuths, probably best-known for his supporting role in the Hercule Poirot tale Death on the Nile—is reminiscent of the great Clive Merrison’s rendition of Sherlock Holmes. Baker, whether consciously or not, captures Merrison’s crisp enunciation and dry delivery of lines, as Race re-examines the suicide of Rosemary Barton. The case is reopened via a typical Christie plot device: Barton’s widower, George, reconstructs the fatal evening at the same venue, but ends up poisoned himself. This audio production benefits from a stellar full cast, and with a number of potential murderers for the listener to suspect, the distinctive voices of the players—including Naomi Frederick and Colin Tierney—make the mystery all the more compelling. But in a classic whodunit such as this, engagement hangs on the detective, and Baker’s spot-on characterization will make listeners regret that Race appeared in only a handful of books.

Rosemary Barton drinks a glass of champagne at her birthday party and promptly dies of cyanide poisoning. A year later, six people--among them her sister, her husband, and her lovers--think about her murder. Christie's well-drawn characters are introduced in a novel way: Each relates his or her memories of Rosemary in a separate chapter, revealing plenty of motives. Robin Bailey develops these characters beautifully, easily handling the book's changing viewpoint. His portrayals of George, Rosemary's stuffy but sympathetic husband, and Iris, her younger sister, are particularly deft. Christie fans in particular and mystery buffs in general will enjoy listening to this fine production. J.C.G. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine