Library Journal Review

In Moon, the third installment in the Francis Bacon series of mysteries (following the Lambda-winning Prisoner of the Riviera), the gay painter is off to a vibrant expat community in post-World War II Morocco. Summoned by David, his alcoholic and sometimes abusive on-again, off-again lover, Francis finds himself enlisted by the local police to help catch an art forger. His involvement becomes personal when he witnesses another crime, resulting in complications with both the British embassy and the Soviets and placing him in serious danger. Law has based her protagonist on real-life painter Bacon (1909-92); listeners will find plenty of art-related tidbits in the midst of this deliberately paced mystery. Narrator Paul Andsell handles the variety of accents with aplomb, giving Francis a languorous insouciance that aptly fits his character. The fifth installment in the Francis Bacon mystery series, Afternoon, picks up where Nights in Berlin leaves off, with a young Francis learning the tools of the designer's trade and sampling the many delights of late 1920s Paris. After a chance encounter makes him an enemy of dangerous Russian expats, he becomes involved with a postmodern theater troupe and a Russian émigré's search for her missing brother. The reappearance of Uncle Lastings-last seen abandoning Francis to an uncertain fate in Berlin-in the guise of a French art dealer serves only to complicate matters further. Series narrator Paul Ansdell turns in another exemplary performance, bringing the Paris of les années folles to vibrant life. Verdict Tangiers could appeal to readers looking for a different flavor of historical mystery or a sexually liberated sleuth in the vein of Miss Fisher. Law is almost as concerned in Paris with Francis's burgeoning artistic sensibility as she is with the mysterious spy game in which he is embroiled. The focus on atmosphere over plot movement, as well as his complicated relationship with his lecherous uncle, may leave some readers cold.-Anna Mickelsen, Springfield City Lib., MA.-Anna Mickelsen, Springfield City Lib., MA © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.