Twilight Hour

Everything is mysterious at a remote English estate--from married couples whose relationships remain distant to gossipy singles and a reporter who is hiding out from Russian assassins. Even the estate itself has a peculiar, mysterious history. Throw in a vicious killer and supernatural lore, and it's understandable that fear envelops the ancient compound. Narrator Ros Stockwell doesn't quite keep pace with the characters' varying identities and emotional baggage. Reporter Erin O'Leary, whose instincts turn to detective work, is given the only distinct voice, a pleasant singsong lilt of an Irish accent. But the other characters simply aren't differentiated well as the story's tension mounts. M.B. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine