CHROMOSOME 6

Arthur Addison's straightforward reading of this lengthy and involved novel of science gone awry when teamed up with organized crime hits just the right note. The unembellished narration fades into the background, allowing the story, told from multiple viewpoints, to shine. It really does sound like someone with a good voice and flawless skill is sitting beside the listener patiently reading the book aloud. Because it is read and not performed, the settings in the New York morgue, the African rain forest and a clandestine genetic-engineering compound can be imagined more vividly than in a more dramatized performance. D.T.H. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: NOV/DEC 97]