A Nice Derangement of Epitaphs

A Nice Derangement of Epitaphs takes the Felse family to a Cornish seaside village where an ancient tomb is opened and reveals a very modern complication: two bodies, neither of them the medieval couple whose epitaph adorns the church. The investigation reaches back into the village's living memory as well as its distant past, with Peterson weaving the domestic warmth of the Felse family into a mystery that turns on questions of identity and long-held community secrets.

Simon Prebble narrates with a pleasure in the material that comes through clearly. The Cornish setting has a particular romance in audio, and Prebble finds the atmospheric texture without overdoing the pastoral qualities. The Felse series occupies a gentler register than many of its contemporaries, and Prebble's voice suits its humane, careful approach to crime.