Riders of the Purple Sage

Gunman Lassiter helps a wealthy Mormon rancher protect her ranch from cattle rustlers and the church. Books in Motion's production, read by Gene Engene, is highly dramatized and works well with the Western genre. Male characterizations are nicely portrayed and easily distinguishable. While female characters are mildly annoying and insipid, as the listener becomes caught up in the story, this becomes less noticeable. E.L.C. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Zane Grey's first (1912) and most popular bestseller defined the mythical Wild West for subsequent generations. A saintly Mormon girl of Utah battling unremittingly evil "Mor-men" finds a protector and wooer in a chivalric, albeit homicidal, gunslinger, whilst another paladin of the plains shoots, then saves, then falls for a masked rustlerette, the pawn of the villain who's been stealing the Mormon girl's cattle. Possessed of a pleasant and manly baritone, John Hitchcock gives a straightforward and colorless rendition of the derring-do. Y.R. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine

The most famous of Zane Grey's classic Western novels is presented here unembellished. It launched a career that saw more than 80 more over the years. The flat intonations of reader Pat Bottino remind this listener of actor Henry Fonda--the same middle-American voice without a large range of inflection or emotion. One can detect a tightening of the voice when the villains appear; but the women are not delineated, and very little distinguishes the characters. Nevertheless, the novel, set in the Mormon country of southern Utah, is so powerful that the package doesn't disappoint. D.W. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

The St. Charles Players portray a multitude of characters in the highly entertaining radio-theater-style production. Professional effects will enthrall listeners with sounds of gunfire, stampeding stock, and the wildlife of Utah. Each character has a unique male or female voice, making this true "theater of the mind." Jane Witherspoon runs a large, prosperous cattle ranch; but when she disobeys Mormon elders, her stock and hired men start disappearing. Help comes in the form of a gunfighter, Lassiter. Listeners will enjoy the excitement and intrigue of the Western frontier created by players and author. S.C.A. (c) AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine

Gunman Lassiter helps a wealthy Mormon rancher protect her ranch from cattle rustlers and the church. In the Recorded Books' lightly dramatized production Donald Buka's twang and clear voice accent the tale well; even though his reading is dry, he delivers at the dramatic points. E.L.C. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine