Absent in the Spring

Delayed in her return to England, Joan Scudamore finds that solitude forces her to review her life. Much of the story comes from Joan's inner thoughts and reflections, allowing Beach to deliver the story like a soliloquy. Joan's emotions range from cold indifference and haughtiness to near insanity, for which Beach uses a wide range of emotional responses. Beach builds individualized personality into the secondary characters as well, even if the roles are small--a master at her craft, Westmacott was actually Agatha Christie writing under a pen name. A well-performed interpretation of psychological insight. P.A.J. (c) AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine