Texas Heat

Laural Merlington narrates this saga of the Austin-Seth Coleman dynasty with skill and clear enunciation. When Coleman's daughter, Maggie, inherits the family home of Sunbridge, she plans an elaborate party to forge a new sense of family identity. Instead, old rivalries and resentments arise, and new temptations emerge. Larger-than-life characters are distinguished through subtle vocal nuances. Southern and Japanese accents are clear and soft. The depiction of Maggie's teenaged son, Cole, as a spoiled, nasty drunk and heir apparent is compelling while the bitter rivalry with his cousin Riley from Japan reveals seismic cultural differences between the two. Complex family dynamics will keep you riveted. G.D.W. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine