CALICO JOE

Paul Tracy, a fan grown up, tells the tale—fact and fiction woven seamlessly by Grisham—of phenom Joe Castle, who mesmerizes baseball fans for a brief time in the 1970s. Tracy watches Calico Joe burst into the majors to captivate fans. Erik Singer makes the most of the story’s few characters. He doesn’t miss a pitch, so to speak—all vocal tones, from Southern lilts to snarling disgust, sound fully credible. He especially excels with the characters of a boy and his father. In sum, Singer’s narration more than distinguishes the characters—it gives them identities, like players on a team. M.B. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2012]