KERPLUNK!

Golden Voice Dick Hill brings his signature excellence to this amusing collection of essays by OUTDOOR LIFE columnist Patrick F. McManus. In "The Kind of Guy I Am," Hill establishes McManus's down-home regular-guy persona, but just as Hill's voice lulls the listener with the author's cracker-barrel folksy style, McManus throws in a zinger, and Hill delivers it as such. McManus offers advice on bad coffee, deer hunts, dog flatulence, and, of course, fishing. Characters like Rancid Crabtree in "The Ideal Life" and Fenton Quagmire in "Back to Basics" are lots of fun, and Hill portrays them with flair. In "Performance Netting," McManus details a disastrous day with his editor on the lake. These essays should be enjoyed over a period of time. Even with Hill's appealing performance, listening in one sitting could get tedious. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2008]