BLACK JACK

The raucous beginning of Brand’s Western is traditional: A gunfighter is shot dead in the street. However, when spinster Elizabeth Cornish takes his baby to raise and wagers with her brother that blood will not “will out”--that Jack’s son will not be a murderer--a fascinating story of nature versus nurture emerges. Cullen reads crisply and distinctly, using pauses dramatically. Sometimes, though, it’s difficult to distinguish the various characters. More about evil and greed than the American West, this audiobook may appeal to a wide audience. S.C.A. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 01]