Magical Midlife Madness

Karen Novack takes on the joint roles of narrator and 40-year-old recently divorced Jessie, whose fresh start begins when she's hired as caretaker of an old house in the Sierra Foothills. Little does Jessie know that the house comes with secrets and strange employees. But Jessie has self-appointed protectors: the aging, ultra-stiff gargoyle/butler, Mr. Tom, portrayed by RJ Bayley, and an 800-year-old lisping vampire/groundskeeper named Edgar, portrayed by Bradley Foster Smith. They are joined by shape-shifter Austin Steel, voiced by Danny Gavigan. Jessie must use her courage, common sense, and growing self-assurance to protect the house and its magic from enemies who will stop at nothing to possess it all. Tongue-in-cheek humor, sound effects, and music add to charm to this full-cast dramatization. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine