The Busy Body

As a ghostwriter—or, as she describes it, a “professional bullshit artist”—the heroine of Donovan’s (The Decent Proposal) latest is no stranger to dirty laundry. She may have no family or friends, but she does have a big nose and no reservations about sticking it in other people’s business. When she’s slated to ghostwrite a biography for Dorothy Gibson, whom many thought would be the first woman president, it could be her big break. After a neighbor turns up dead, however, Gibson goes on a mission to fill the professional void in her life by solving the murder, dragging her ghostwriter along for the ride. Donovan begins his “Ghostwriter” series with this intricate, action-packed first installment, an amateur detective tale with a magnificent denouement to rival the Golden Age greats. Narrator Eva Kaminsky shines as the unnamed leading lady. Her conversational tone, paired with Donovan’s breaking of the fourth wall to directly address listeners, yields an absorbing and entertaining listening experience.