FREAKY DEAKY

In this CD re-release, things start exploding in the first chapter and just don’t stop. Crammed with Elmore Leonard’s dependable complement of likable scoundrels and highly original outlaws, the cast of characters includes Bomb Squad Sergeant Chris Mankowski; Skip, a maniacal demolitions expert back from a long stretch in prison for blowing up a federal building; and Robin, his partner. The two plan revenge against the man they think turned them in to the FBI. Frank Muller’s extraordinary talent makes the most of Leonard’s wry wit. With seemingly little effort, his voice drips with sarcasm, becomes raucous or shrill, or curls the hairs at the back of the neck. Leonard’s unpredictable plot combined with Muller’s subtle, frequently menacing delivery is guaranteed to keep listeners breathless. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 05]