THE TEMPEST TALES

When Tempest Landry, a black man accidentally shot dead by police, stands before St. Peter at the pearly gates and is doomed to hell, he says, "Uh-uh." Narrator Ty Jones lets a cynical tone creep into his delivery as Tempest is returned to Manhattan, looking very different and being shadowed by an angel named Joshua. The heavenly emissary soon gets involved in one ethical dilemma after another as Jones leads the listener through a maze of debates over the nature of sin and Tempest's slippery explanations. Tempest eventually allies with Satan in his quest to get to heaven—with humorous results. A wonderful premise sometimes drags a bit through the philosophical debates, but the story's eventual payoff is worth the journey. R.O. 2010 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2009]