another nice story with ace/colchester! i still wish we got some of colchester solo, but in saying that i love the dynamic that this pair have. they work so well together, their banter is great. the story in itself was not extremely out there, but it was still a nice enough episode!

'Death in Venice' is the second appearance of Dorothy 'Ace' McShane (played by Sophie Aldred) in the Torchwood Monthly Range. Just like last time ('The Red List'), we've got a very small cast. Paul Clayton plays Mr. Colchester from Torchwood. At times, Jack Forsyth-Noble and Safiyya Ingar act in supporting roles. But the story is mainly told through the dialogue between Aldred and Clayton.

Just as in 'The Red List,' it is brilliant to listen to both flexing their voice acting muscles. While 'The Red List' had a slightly stronger emphasis on Colchester's view of the situation, this time it is the other way around. This gives Aldred, as Ace, the opportunity to brilliantly convey how Ace has changed over time, what has stayed the same, and why her charity 'A Charitable Earth' is so important to her (and the world). Loved it.

This time around, the two main protagonists are not confined to two hotel rooms. Instead, they actually travel quite a lot with some exciting action sequences. While I wouldn't want to miss the more somber storytelling of 'The Red List,' for the second installment of Ace meeting Mr. Colchester, it was a very good choice, making the audio drama much more dynamic than it would have been otherwise.

The different parts and tempos of the story fit very well together. Kudos to author James Goss and the rest of the production crew.

A top-notch standalone story that at the same time makes one want to hear more.