BLACK MASK 4: THE PARROT THAT WOULDN'T TALK And Other Crime Fiction from the Legendary Magazine

With this collection, fourth in a series of 1930s pulp detective stories originally published in “Black Mask” magazine, listeners are taken back to the times of gangsters and gumshoes. The narrators’ styles are reminiscent of the swagger, punch, and sass of old-time radio crime dramas. Alan Sklar’s resonant baritone especially stands out. Though the settings and characters are dated, the stories’ themes of greed and lust for power are timeless, and some them are surprisingly offbeat. The enthusiastic narrators don’t miss a trick. Like B-movie actors stepping up to their stylized roles, they propel these stories along with cleverness and suspense, making this production just plain fun. F.T. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2012]