THE MANGROVE COAST

The only thing that keeps this tale afloat is narrator Ron McLarty. When Doc Ford is asked by the daughter of a long dead Vietnam-era buddy to find her missing mother, he follows her from Florida to Colombia, then Panama. Little of consequence happens for most of the story--all the action comes on the last tape--and that's punctuated by an ending that leaves you ambivalent. In a steady voice McLarty does more than his share to keep you from signing off prematurely. You even forgive that his villain sounds more like a cartoon character than a heavy. McLarty demonstrates how a competent reader can save an otherwise unworthy offering. A.L.H. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 03/JAN 04]