THE GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO VICE AND VIRTUE

Fair warning—it’ll be hard to press pause once narrator Christian Coulson begins sweeping you along on this breathless historical adventure. Henry (Monty) Montague; his younger sister, Felicity; and his best friend, Percy, set out from England for a grand tour of Europe, their last youthful fling before surrendering to adulthood. Coulson flawlessly gives voice to Monty’s decadent rakishness, Percy’s steady companionship, and Felicity’s sharp intelligence. But there are deeper motivations at work here for all of the characters. Coulson conveys longing, frustration, and fear as their fortunes take one turn after another and evokes the changing locales as their journey progresses. It’s all grandly, swooningly romantic, and Lee’s smart writing satisfies on every level. An absolute delight of a listen. J.M.D. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2017]