Safe House

Narrator Simon Vance is the Henry Higgins of British accents, and this audiobook provides him with a new challenge--a Manx accent. Yes, the Isle of Man has its own distinctive inflection--described by some as similar to a Manchester/Merseyside accent. There's also plenty of fact and folklore about the Isle mixed into the plot. Vance keeps the story moving with just the right pacing and manages to escalate the tension in the complicated plot--involving kidnapping, revenge, and international ecoterrorism--while keeping it all on track. There's plenty of action, a few surprises, and a first for mystery fans: Our sleuth is a plumber. R.W.S. (c) AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

Starred review from October 8, 2012
Set on the Isle of Man, this beautifully plotted thriller from Ewan (The Good Thief’s Guide to Venice and three other mysteries starring professional thief Charlie Howard) offers as many twists and turns as motorcycle enthusiast Rob Hale encounters during the British dependency’s annual TT (Tourist Trophy) time-trial races. After a motorcycle accident catapults Rob into the hospital, he learns there’s no evidence that Lena, the attractive blonde he’d just met who was riding on the back of his bike, ever existed. Determined to prove Lena wasn’t a figment of his imagination, Rob teams with PI Rebecca Lewis in an investigation that becomes increasingly convoluted and dangerous as they uncover links to the suicide of Rob’s sister, Laura, a few weeks earlier and unearth surprising secrets about the mysterious Lena. Meanwhile, a number of ruthless players work at cross purposes, and Rob and Rebecca take a lot of hard knocks at their hands. Ewan’s carefully placed clues will elicit several “aha” moments from readers as his heroes battle toward understanding and resolution. Agent: Valerie Borchardt, the Georges Borchardt Literary Agency.