CHROMOSOME 6

A medical examiner in New York worried by some odd autopsy findings and a scientist in equatorial Africa performing genetic experiments that could dramatically alter life on earth are drawn together in Cook's latest medical thriller. Boyd Gaines's dramatic reading, accented by sound effects and musical bridges, establishes the characters and the emotional reality of the frightening situations. But it's hampered by scant character development and sudden leaps in the narrative. Despite these weaknesses, Gaines's easy style and an intriguing premise make this abridgment worth a listen. M.A.M. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: NOV/DEC 97]