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TOWERS OF SILENCE by Cath Staincliffe Soundings (Isis), June 2003 Audio pages 17.99 GBP ISBN: 1842835068

With just 19 days to Christmas, Sal Kilkenny , Manchester private eye, is considering how she should introduce her new boyfriend Stuart to her daughter. Maddy, and what Christmas presents to get for her house-mate Ray and his girlfriend Laura, then she meets the Johnstones.

The coroners verdict on the death of Miriam Johnstone is that she committed suicide during a bout of depression, but her daughter Connie is not convinced, and Sal is asked by the family to investigate. Although, Connie insists that her mother was scared of heights and would never have gone to the top of a high building to kill herself, Sal can find nothing to justify her investigating. It would appear that there were no witnesses, no signs of a struggle or any kind of attack. Patrick, Connie¹s boyfriend asks Sal to at least try to fill in the last missing day, to help Connie to come to terms with her mother death, and accept the verdict. After reading the folder of papers Patrick had left with her, Sal still agrees with the coroners verdict, but decides that it cannot do any harm to at least try to establish just how Miriam Johnstone had spent her last day.

Before she has conveyed her decision to the Johnstones, Sal is contacted by a woman desperate to find out where her 17 year-old son is going and what has happened to change his personality from a normal boy to a secretive unhappy one.

As she starts to investigate the last day of Miriam Johnstone, speaking to the people at the Community Centre where Miriam had spent her last morning, and visiting the building from which Miriam had jumped, she finds evidence of a shoddy investigation by the police, and questions begin to surface. Although, all the family are keen to help with information, Roland Johnstone, the younger brother is reluctant to speak with Sal, but why?

I enjoy the way Sal pursues her cases, switching from one to the other, I just get engrossed in one, and I am following up the other. It really keeps me riveted to the tape, eager to hear the next step in the investigation.

Jilly Bond is marvellous with the different voices. Eddie Cliff¹s West Country accent was spot on , and she was particularly good with the children, she has a real gift for sounding about 5 years old. ------

Reviewed by Lizzie Hayes, June 2003

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)

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