STREETS OF FIRE

One danger for a narrator who creates voices for a variety of characters is lack of consistency. Ray Chase's narration shines at times, bringing human voices to numerous characters. But several main characters' voices frequently suffer from inconsistency, speaking with a certain tone and cadence one time and a completely different voice the next. This police procedural is set against the backdrop of Martin Luther King's marches in Birmingham in 1963. It brings to light racial injustices in the South and explores the motivations of both the established order and the Civil Rights activists. One of Cook's earlier works, its setting and many events are accurate, but its story is weakened by stereotypical characters and weak or obvious plot devices. M.L.R. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2013]