HEART OF THE MOUNTAIN MAN

A rowdy tale of pioneer life and frontier justice in the latter days of the Old West, this audiobook rambles all the way to Jackson Hole, when a group of outlaws kidnaps the wife of a buddy of the stern and deadly Smoke Jensen. Colorful characters abound in a gunfest expertly rendered by actor Doug van Liew--he summons gamy mountain men and flinty outlaws from the page with alacrity. The publisher seems to have mastered the sound effects in this episode, only occasionally laying them on thicker than bear grease. Rife with historical detail and the type of sentiment that makes campfire coffee seem romantic, this is a fun--and very bloody--listen. D.J.B.
(c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 04]