Doctor Death

April 27, 2015
Danish novelist Kaaberbøl’s historical mystery, set in the French village of Varbourg in 1894, is the first of a proposed series featuring 19-year-old Madeleine Karno, who lives with and assists her father, the coroner. Madeleine yearns to become a pathologist just like her father and ends up assisting the town commissioner in an intriguing investigation. It begins with two unconnected deaths—a young girl who may have died from natural cause and a priest who has been fatally bludgeoned. Though Madeleine narrates the story, actress Barber has wisely chosen to avoid a theatrical French intonation, except for the proper pronunciation of names and places. Her natural, youthful, precise British accent works quite well, especially when reflecting the efficient, self-controlled character’s subtly varying emotions. Madeleine’s father sounds properly stern and paternal, and the commissioner speaks with kindness. The abbess character is cold and aloof; the novices in her charge vary from silly to sinister; and there are a couple of vicious killers who, thanks to Barber, use their words like weapons. An Atria hardcover.

In 1890s France, at a time when forensic science is in its infancy, Madeleine Karno, a 21-year-old doctor's daughter, finds herself at the center of a mystery. Nicola Barber's narration is perfectly matched to the plot and characters of this mystery. She uses a light breathy voice to highlight Madeleine's youth and pragmatism and hardens her tones for the other characters, many of whom are men. Although Barber doesn't employ a French accent in the main body of the narrative, her precise reading style combined with the French names helps to create the illusion of France many years ago. The innocence that her characterization of Madeleine suggests exquisitely contrasts with the dark plot, helping to create the ambiance of this unconventional mystery. K.J.P. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine