ONLY THE STRONG

Narrator JD Jackson's deep voice sets the masculine tone for this novel featuring professional hit man "Guts," who is trying to create a new life with his sexy girlfriend. The story explores the lives of African-Americans in the late 1960s in a fictional Midwestern city. Jackson captures the gritty nature of urban life against the backdrop of the fight for civil rights. His cadence is steady, bordering on monotone, but the situations facing the characters may keep listeners engaged. This is a capable, if unimaginative, reading of an illuminating novel. M.R. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2015]