SPECIAL OPS

Scott Brick's narrative style and voice are near perfect for this latest installment in Griffin's Brotherhood of War series. That is because most of the characters he is called upon to portray are Green Berets circa 1964-65. The listener can just envision Lt. Jack Portet (pronounced "Portay") snapping to attention as Brick signals the arrival of a general officer. Portet is part of a small group of Special Forces personnel assembled by President Lyndon Johnson to humiliate rather than kill Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara, who is fomenting trouble for the U.S. in the Congo. Johnson theorized that killing Guevara would only make him a martyr. Brick's performance is only slightly marred by his frequent failure to distinguish between characters, which sometimes causes confusion for the listener. However, he completely redeems himself with an almost perfect Spanish monologue. His snappy, pleasant voice makes this long book move quickly. A.L.H. (c) AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC/ JAN 02]