From Publishers Weekly
A man named Tim needs help. Seems his rich wife (whom he married only for her money) plans to cut him out of her will; worse, she is having an affair with his best friend. What Tim needs help with is the perfect murder: he wants to kill his wife and make it look as if the boyfriend did it. Since he is something of a perfectionist, Tim wants this crime "so beautiful in construction and so ingenious in practice that it aspires to the condition of art." Seeking counsel from the experts, Tim writes Block, Caudwell, Hillerman, Lovesey and Westlake, and asks each to design him a blueprint for a fail-safe scheme. Each carefully wrought reply in this droll how-to for the discriminating hitman is a small masterpiece of cunning and deception. Count on Westlake and Block for their usual dark humor; Hillerman for his keen sense of human nature; Caudwell and Lovesey for the wry British perspective. And count on every one of them to be very annoyed to find out that he/she was not the only expert consulted. Westlake, for example, observes of Block's plan of attack: "Not merely kitsch, but sordid kitsch." Devotees of the genre will feast on this smorgasbord of treats.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Tim plots "the perfect murder" of his adulterous wife by indicting his once best friend who is now her lover. He invites five authors to perfect his plan. Each author, narrated by a different actor, responds and then critiques the others. Victor Garber's Tim has a condescending tone which one must endure. But Josef Sommer uses a clear and highly listenable voice for Westlake's letter. George S. Irving has good vocal quality and execution (employing a diabolical laugh and second voice) for Lovesay's response. John Randolph Jones employs a Texas accent to outline Hillerman's murder. Lynn Redgrave has a passionate, adamant and almost mothering tone for Caudwell's plan. Michael Patrick McGrath's presentation leans toward montone and is least successful. A unique format and entertaining listen for those who enjoy mysteries. M.S. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
