Sunset and Sawdust.

SUNSET AND SAWDUST. Joe R. Lansdale. 2004. Read by Deborah Marlowe. Books on Tape. 11 cds. No time listed. 0-7366-9929-5. $99.00. Vinyl; plot note. A

Constable Pete Jones cheated on his redheaded wife Sunset and beat her too, so it wasn't a real surprise when she shot and killed him during an attempted tape. But imagine how everyone feels when Sunset is appointed the temporary constable, by none other than Pete's mother, who has some abuse stories of her own! Set in the East Texas piney woods during the Depression, this dark novel seems as though it shouldn't be quite so entertaining--but it is. The mystery Sunset is determined to solve involves a murdered mother and her unborn child, a black farmer who is being cheated out of oil-rich land, and a slew of creepy connivers and no-goods. There's some sex, a lot of language, many over-the-top characters, and a feisty, smart, and beautiful heroine.

Marlowe interprets this gritty story in multi-voice. The recording takes some getting used to as Marlowe employs ranges of Southern accents for the many characters but reverts to a non-accented voice for the narration. Lansdale's snappy noir writing style is a challenge to read aloud and Marlowe does a passable job. Bette Ammon, Director, Missoula PL., Missoula, MT