THE LOW DESERT Gangster Stories

Goldberg's collection of crime stories has plenty of dark humor, but narrator Johnny Heller never plays it for laughs. Heller stays true to the characters, who may say funny things but are not funny people. The production excels when Heller enters the minds and mouths of the tough guys and gals. (Many appear in earlier Goldberg novels.) Check out Heller as Peaches Pocotillo, the ex-con set up to take the fall in "Gangway," or as Rabbi David Cohen, the Mafia hit man turned rabbi in "Mazel." Author Tod Goldberg is a master of verbal confrontations, and Heller runs with them. The production is excellent--though more space between stories wouldn't hurt. "Pilgrims" even provides audiobook listeners the opportunity to hear a story about an audiobook listener. R.W.S. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2021]