The Riddle of the Sands

This novel was a sensation when it was published in Britain in 1903 because it made a convincing case for the imperialist threat posed by Britain's ally Germany. We follow two young Englishmen as they uncover a German military plot while sailing a small boat around Holland's coastal waters. The mystery is interesting, the social commentary more interesting, and if you are a sailor, the descriptions of rudders, tides, winds, water, and cooking in a miniscule cabin are riveting. (If you aren't a sailor, they're fun, but a bit much.) Richard Heffer is a sailor as well as a narrator, and his knowledge shows in his ability to make the sailing passages clear despite their complexity. He doesn't create different voices, which is fine because he excels in reading speech believably. All of real speech's pauses, shifts in tone, and changes of pace and intonation are beautifully rendered. A lovely job. A.C.S. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine