The Zebra-Striped Hearse

Macdonald is one of the elite in hard-boiled mystery fiction. In his tenth book (1962), he again indulges us with the moody, smart-mouthed, introspective character of PI Lew Archer. The story--mostly set in Southern California--takes us inside people's lives--we get to know them and sympathize with some of them. Tom Parker's flat middle-American voice is well suited to the characterizations in this book. Parker's rendition is a first-class reading. D.R.W. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine

Harris Yulin and KCRW have once again crossed the boundaries between unabridged readings and fully realized audio theater in their second adaptation of a Ross Macdonald novel. (SLEEPING BEAUTY--also directed by Yulin--won the 1998 Audie Award for Best Audiobook Adapted from Another Medium.) This production features musical accompaniment, cinematic sound, and a cast of 40--including Ed Asner, Tyne Daly, Shirley Knight, Jennifer Tilly, among other notables. Hired by an overprotective father (Asner) to stop the marriage of his daughter (Tilly) to a shiftless painter (Joe Pantoliano), private eye Lew Archer uncovers old secrets while chasing from San Francisco to Lake Tahoe, Malibu, and Mexico. Jodi Thelen provides a small but powerful performance as a lonely-hearts landlady living in a Mexican village. Lew Archer is played by Yulin, whose talents are top-notch but who may have been better suited for a different part. This memorable reading includes an audio-documentary about the life and work of Ross Macdonald with interviews and analyses by friends and associates of the grand master. S.E.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award. 2002 Audie Award Finalist. (c) AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine