LUCIANO'S LUCK

The publisher had the good sense to resurrect this Jack Higgins classic, written almost 20 years ago. Good sense also dictated that Michael Page narrate. The book takes place during WWII, when the U.S. attempts to use jailed gangster Lucky Luciano to connect with a Sicilian Mafia overlord (who hates Americans) to use the local population to work against the Nazis and help the invasion of Sicily. To that end, Luciano, two American Rangers, and the don's granddaughter parachute into the country. Page's reading calls for a multiplicity of accents, including American, British, German, Sicilian, and even Lithuanian. Page's characterizations are first-rate, and he easily moves from one individual to another. Mostly fiction but taken from actual fact, this story is captivating—from the benign planning of the drop to the bloody conclusion. Page is consistent from beginning to end. A.L.H. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2011]