BITTERROOT

Billy Bob Holland, attorney-at-law and ex-Texas Ranger, is vacationing in Bitterroot, Montana, at the home of longtime friend Doc and his daughter, Maisy. As they enjoy the beautiful landscape, Wyatt Dixon, a sadistic killer, is released from jail in Texas and arrives in Montana to harass Holland and seek revenge. Rape, murder, and revenge haunt this mystery as Burke's creations grow from caricatures to full-bodied characters. Will Patton's soft Southern intonation hides the power and brutality of the characters at the same time that it brings Burke's vivid descriptions to the fore. The intermingling of the beautiful and the horrific adds to the wonder that such a place of peace has violence and murder lurking beneath its surface. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 01]