Fools Die

Gardner dramatizes this analysis of the weak, sinful side of an essentially good person. Reading briskly with a slight nasal tone, Gardner brings realism to this novel about flawed choices in life. Amid the glitter and glamour of Las Vegas, New York City, and Hollywood, Merlyn the magician, Osano, Artie, and Janelle battle their own indulgences and watch others become consumed by lust, power or violence. Gardner barely differentiates gender but uses pacing, accents and intonation to differentiate the many male characters. S.C.A. (c) AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine