BLACK SHEEP

Black Sheep ranks among the best of Heyer's novels. The plot revolves around Abbie, 28 and "on the shelf;" her niece, Fanny, who's starry eyed over Stacy Calverly, a fortune hunter; and his uncle, Miles Calverly, the black sheep of his family. Barbara Leigh-Hunt captures the listener's attention from the beginning. The characters are distinct, both male and female, and Leigh-Hunt draws us into the story of the various social strictures in England during the early nineteenth century. The only jarring note is Abbie. She's a young woman, but Leigh-Hunt doesn't have a young sounding voice, and that detracts somewhat from the reading. D.M.W. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 96]