See Also Murder

Sweazy’s novel, the first in a series set in rural North Dakota circa 1964, is narrated by its protagonist, Marjorie Trumaine: a smart, remarkably adaptive woman who, since her husband Hank suffered a hunting accident that left him blind and paralyzed, has been caring for him and keeping the family farm in operation by working as a professional book indexer. When an unknown killer begins cutting the throats of her neighbors, Marjorie’s penchant for research leads Sheriff Hilo Jenkins to seek her help in identifying his only clue—an amulet clutched in the hand of one of the victims. Though this rendition features a full cast, voice actress Nanette Savard handles the lion’s share of the work, portraying Marjorie as a determined woman with a subdued Fargo-esque accent. The other performers handle the rest of the well-drawn citizens of Dickinson with similar, equally effective accents, particularly Chris Geneback as the weary, understandably melancholy Hank and James Konicek as the seemingly dependable, deep-voiced Sheriff Hilo. The production includes mood music and sound effects that, in creating wind and rain on the plains, sometimes overpower the dialogue in this dark, well-crafted whodunit. A Seventh Street paperback. (Nov.)