April 1951. It is twenty years since the death of Rebecca, the hauntingly beautiful first wife of Maxim de Winter. Twenty years since the inquest, which passed a verdict of suicide. Twenty years since Manderley was razed to the ground...but Rebecca's tale is just beginning. Family friend Colonel Julyan receives an anonymous parcel containing a black notebook with two handwritten words on the first page -- "Rebecca's Tale." A young scholar by the name of Terrence Gray has also appeared in town, looking for clues to Rebecca's life and death. His presence causes a stir in the quiet hamlet, and tongues begin to wag about the close ties Mr. Gray has formed to the Colonel and his single daughter, Ellie. Amid the intrigues of this small coastal town, Ellie, Gray, and the Colonel begin a search for the real Rebecca. Was her death really suicide, or was it murder? Another Rebecca spinoff? In this case, Beauman (Destiny) was chosen by Daphne du Maurier's estate. Here, 20 years after Rebecca's death, Colonel Julyan asks daughter Ellie and mysterious scholar Tom Gray to reconsider her death in light of her newly discovered diaries. Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. April 1951. It is twenty years since the death of Rebecca, the hauntingly beautiful first wife of Maxim de Winter. Twenty years since the inquest, which passed a verdict of suicide. Twenty years since Manderley was razed to the ground...but Rebecca's tale is just beginning. Family friend Colonel Julyan receives an anonymous parcel containing a black notebook with two handwritten words on the first page -- "Rebecca's Tale." A young scholar by the name of Terrence Gray has also appeared in town, looking for clues to Rebecca's life and death. His presence causes a stir in the quiet hamlet, and tongues begin to wag about the close ties Mr. Gray has formed to the Colonel and his single daughter, Ellie. Amid the intrigues of this small coastal town, Ellie, Gray, and the Colonel begin a search for the real Rebecca. Was her death really suicide, or was it murder? Sally Beauman is a New York Times bestselling author and journalist who began her career at New York magazine. Her internationally bestselling novels, including Rebecca's Tale , her sequel to Daphne du Maurier's iconic work, have been translated into more than twenty languages. She has written for The New Yorker , the Sunday Times , and numerous other leading periodicals on both sides of the Atlantic. Miriam Margolyes, a brilliant voice actor, has stared on London's West End and BBC TV, as well as in such films as Magnolia, The Age of Innocence, Sunshine and Cold Front Farm. Does Miriam Margolyes ever give a bad performance? Margolyes breathes a bit of life into this predictable novel by Sally Beauman, lending a different voice to each character in its quiet seaside setting. But even Margolyes's great ability isn't enough to overcome the slow start to this story or the predictable melodrama that unfolds. Margolyes perfectly captures the mean spirit and drama behind Rebecca, the novel's focus, but the result is the listener's strong dislike for most of the characters involved. One wonders if the abridgment cut out any redeeming qualities of Rebecca and those around her. While Margolyes makes the story somewhat enjoyable with her talent for reading, it isn't enough to warrant a replay. H.L.S. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine Used Book in Good Condition