CABAL AND OTHER STORIES

This collection of short fiction takes place mostly in the South, giving narrator Mary Peiffer a chance to show off her Southern dialects. In this regard, she succeeds in setting the tone for the book. Overall though, Peiffer's reading talents are raw. The first two tapes are difficult to listen to because she reads too fast and with little variation. Peiffer's pleasant voice is strong, warm, and, in some instances, enticing, but she needs to pay more attention to varying her tone and emphasis. She works well with the text, seeming positively gleeful when narrating some of the funny parts. If only she had harnessed this energy throughout the production. R.I.G. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/MAR 01]