Blackberry Pie Murder (A Hannah Swensen Mystery with Recipes!)

Veteran narrator Toren draws on her special gift for dialogue in the audio edition of the latest installment in Fluke’s popular series describing the adventures of Hannah Swensen, a smalltown Minnesota baker/sleuth. Toren does an effective job of moving the often over-the-top events along, but the highlight is her ability to capture the nuances of individual characters and the speech patterns and flavor of the region. Her turn as Hannah’s high-strung and high-maintenance mother certainly delivers palpable energy and enthusiasm, whether she’s fretting over the details of her upcoming wedding or visiting Minneapolis with her daughter to solve the sordid prostitution case at the heart of the story. Toren even takes pains to voice the distinctive meows of Hannah’s cat. She also handles the recipe segments at the end of each chapter with a pleasant conversational tone. A Kensington hardcover. (Mar.)