TUCKET'S RIDE

Bringing to mind the deep, flat tones of Robert Stack hosting the "Unsolved Mysteries" television program, John Randolph Jones reads the story of Francis Tucket in the even monotone of a seasoned announcer. Francis Tucket, a 15-year-old crossing the American frontier with two orphaned children during the Mexican War must save them from the Comancheros, an outlaw band. Despite the high tension, Jones's narrative is restrained with just occasional dramatic expression. He reads the voice of the assaulted Spanish woman with attention to accent and emotion. The ten-year-old orphan, Lottie, who talks both too fast and too much, is also read in character. Otherwise, the story is told straight out, in an approach that will appeal to young adults preferring an unembellished story but might disappoint those desiring a greater measure of excitement and emotion. T.B. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT 97]