The Nightriders

Gold lust and greed inspire a series of robberies and lynchings as a gang of lawmen tries to take over a productive mining area. Wells Fargo Agent Zac Cobb is just the man to stop the madness. In the process, he encourages his curmudgeonly aunt to make peace with her Maker and faces some tough moral dilemmas of his own. Narrator Jack Garrett, obviously caught up in the fast-moving tale, delivers a spirited account of killings, snake pits, gold panning, and civil disobedience. His portrayal of Aunt Hat steals the show, although other characterizations, particularly of men, are clear and competent. Zac Cobb comes across as strong but sensitive, sure but questioning. Not all questions are resolved in the end, in both plot and delivery--kind of like real life. R.P.L. (c) AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine