THE MADSTONE

Will Collyer narrates this tale set in 1868 in Texas. Nineteen-year-old Benjamin Shreve writes a letter to a boy named Tot, describing how he met Tot and his mother and the short time they spent traveling together. Collyer infuses Shreve with a heart of gold and a spine of steel. Listeners will feel the slow tug when Shreve first sees and then falls in love with fully pregnant Nell and young Tot--and then steps forward into danger to protect them. Along the way, there are a murderous husband and his outlaw brothers, who are portrayed with perfect villainy; a double stagecoach robbery; and a cursed necklace, all complicating a budding love affair and harrowing escape. Collyer's characterizations of both heroes and villains enliven this spellbinding story. L.M.G. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2023]