PAINTING THE DARKNESS

Set in England in the last half of the nineteenth century, Goddard's novel centers on a legal challenge to the right of inheritance to a baronetcy, vast wealth, and land. The unfolding story is composed of rape, murder, incest, and rampant adultery among the members of an extended aristocratic family. It's an old fashioned page--or rather--tape-turner. Michael Kitchen gives a masterful reading. He gives each member of the large cast a distinct voice, and his pacing is excellent, capturing the widely ranging emotional states of various characters. Kitchen keeps the listener actively engaged. R.E.K. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 01]