THE SOUND OF TRUMPETS

Lord Titmuss (familiar from a pair of PBS series) is such a devious and successful political mastermind that when the opposing party comes into power, it can only be because he permits--nay, ENGINEERS--it. John Mortimer's cynical take on the process of representative government merrily aims its squibs Left and Right, leaving plenty of casualties on all sides of the unscathed Titmuss. Paul Shelley steers us cleverly through a complicated plot. His Narrator is dramatic yet never emotional; he saves the "acting" for clever portrayals of a host of characters--including the wonderful, raspy-voiced Titmuss himself. Thankfully, nobody abridged this book--the subtle branchings of the plot would not bear pruning. S.P. © AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC/JAN 00]