Assassin in the Limelight

"Dead in Ford's Theatre!"

Writer: Robert Ross

Format: Audio

Released: May 2008

Series: Main Range 108

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Evelyn

Synopsis

Ford's Theatre, Washington. Friday, 14th April, 1865. The assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

The place, the date and the event which made history. Or did it? Someone has been tampering with time, muddying the waters of history for his own purposes. Time itself is out of joint and the chief culprit is the enigmatic Doctor Knox.

Somehow the Doctor and Evelyn must put history back on track before the future dissolves into chaos. But Knox, it turns out, may be the last of their worries...

Verdict

Assassin in the Limelight was an excellent audio adventure! It was a real joy to listen to and it saw some great Main Range continuity with the return of Knox to do battle with the Sixth Doctor and Evelyn once again. I liked that there was no beating around the bat concerning his return and he actually featured for quite some time before encountering the Doctor again.  I thought the setting was absolutely perfect and a really good choice for a time meddler story! The assassination of Abraham Lincoln isn't actually a historical event I knew a great deal about prior to listening so it was also an insightful listen into a period of history that I am currently not studying for part of my Masters Degree. There was a lot of meddling going on and I thought it was good that Evelyn was on hand to tell us all about the event. Her knowledge as a history lecturer came incredibly useful for listeners like me who didn't know the finer details of the event and her desire to ensure that history was put back on its rightful course because of the impact Lincoln surviving would have was wonderful. The Doctor was also unhappy with what was going on but didn't seem as bothered by the prospect of Lincoln surviving because he knew that Time would be up to its tricks and trying to fix things. The story between Booth and Parker and the true identity of Lincoln's would-be assassin was great and I really enjoyed Evelyn's reaction when she found out that the real assassin was going to be framed. She couldn't quite believe it! Clara Harris was a lovely character and I really enjoyed her relationship with Evelyn. Everything seems to be coming back to her but she really did have one of her best stories as companion thus far. Colin Baker was great as the Doctor too. Knox served as a superb villainous enemy and I really do hope that he returns in the future. His gift from the grave to the Doctor when trapping the returning Indo from Pier Pressure was fantastic! I didn't think they were quite as good as Knox but it was a nice return and unexpected surprise. The Doctor trapped them in the elevator quite easily though in humorous fashion! Major Eckert was a great character too and I was very impressed with all of the guest performances. The ending was good with Knox changing bodies due to Indo technology and leaving things open for a return. Overall, a fantastic audio! 

Rating: 9/10