The Thin Woman
by Dorothy Cannell
Reluctant to show up at her family reunion carrying so many extra pounds, unmarried, overweight Ellie Simons hires Bentley T. Haskell to pose as her fiance, thus beginning a weekend of romance, jealousy, and murder. Reprint. PW. K. From AudioFileA rich, eccentric uncle; a "castle" complete with moat; and a profusion of quirky relatives all have parts in this amusing story which updates the traditional English country house mystery. Ellie, longing to be thin, and Bentley, escort-for-hire turned partner in an unusual treasure hunt, and other likeable characters are strongly characterized by Donohoe. She overplays the accents to define personalities, but the quirky story can take it. The pace is rapid and action condensed, possibly by the abridgment, so the presentation delights for its short duration. Femmes Fatal by Cannell with Amanda Donohoe, a sequel to Ellie And Bentley's colorful lif is also available from Bantam. R.F.W. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine