Murder at Deer Park By: Gary Alan Ruse Narrated by: Erik Baker

Murder at Deer Park
By: Gary Alan Ruse
Narrated by: Erik Baker
Length: 3 hrs and 14 mins

Narrator Erik Baker

Erik Baker's rendition of Murder at Deer Park was exceptionally well done. Baker has a versatile range of voices, giving in depth characteristics to each person. His voice has a pleasurable tenor with just the right amount of masculinity and maturity and he did a very credible depiction for Francis, expressing youth, naivete and budding womanhood. Baker is talented and does other voice over work. I enjoyed this video of him doing the voiceover for a video game. Seems like he is not just talented but has a good sense of humor, and enjoys a touch of acting it out too. 

Author Gary Ruse

In 1886 Grover Cleveland was the twenty second president of the United States. At the age of forty nine he married Francis Folsom who was twenty one. This was a wide gap in this May, December marriage of twenty eight years, seven years more than Francis's years on this earth. Nonetheless it apparently was a happy and compatible marriage that produced five children. Cleveland was executor of her father's estate and long time friends with him as well as law partners, he received permission from Francis's mother to court Francis. There is a well done write up at The Washington Post that would aid in following the historical story.

In Murder of Deer Park, Gary Ruse successfully wove fact and fiction into a charming and fantastic tale of Grover and Francis's honeymoon at Deer Park, Maryland. Cleveland went to extremes to avoid the press disturbing him and his new bride. Shortly after arriving at Deer Park, the press did manage to track them down and Ruse's account of the shenanigans with the press was fascinating and much of it true. 

When one of the reporters is found dead, Grover and Francis don't agree with the police that it was an accident. The police are persuaded by Cleveland that it is a case of murder and of course who would go against the President of the United States and Cleveland sets off on a thorough and compelling investigation. It is extremely well written and moves at a brisk pace. Alan Ruse does skillfully bring out that Cleveland was sensitive, honest and skillful with words and a highly respected and loved president.

I highly recommend listening to the delightful story and if you feel compelled to dig deeper into the lives of our Past Presidents google is a good place to start. Each has an interesting story to tell. Once out of school history takes on a new life and becomes fascinating. For some reason they make history a real bore, I suppose because it is mostly memorizing names and dates. With all the resources on the internet we can now search out little known details, look at pictures and unravel the mysterious. Gary Ruse is a popular author of many excellent and entertaining books that are also available as Ebooks and available as Kindle books, on Amazon as well as at Audible.com. Read also my review of Ruse's The Cross of St. Anne.