Selected Shorts: Whodunit?

Delivered in front of a live audience, these short stories pack a good few hours of entertainment. With stories from Ed McBain, Dashiell Hammett and others, these 20–30-minute readings whisk listeners into a world of murder and mayhem. Each narrator renders a strong performance, often providing keen interpretation that some readers might miss. Many use straight or hyperbolized deliveries to evoke laughs and amusement from the crowd while also staying within the interpretive parameters of the text. Not all of the stories fit within the collection's theme of mystery. Shirley Jackson's “The Summer People” (read by Rene Auberjonois) has an air of mystery but not in the same sense as the other pieces. The narrators are perfectly matched with their material, and the stories themselves keep listeners intrigued and entertained. The live audience adds enjoyment and a commonality as a listener laughs along with them. (Mar.)