SCALES OF GOLD

The fourth in Dunnett's exhaustive saga of mercantile adventures set in the mid-fifteenth century concerns hero Nicholas's travels to Africa. With cool aplomb Christopher Kay narrates this tale of skirmishes on the high seas, trading coups, and vicious rivalries. Kay has a real talent for investing each character with a signature voice and never faltering. We recognize voices from past novels and enjoy new ones, such as that of the Scottish companion, Bel. Listening to this recording is like being transported back in time, but sometimes the sheer weight of literary and historical details is overwhelming. This would have been a good candidate for an abridged recording. D.L.G. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/ MAY 06]