The Black Gang

January 1, 2011

What ho, old bean! Pseudonymous author Herman Cyril McNeile's (1888-1937) second entry in this widely adapted series, following Bulldog Drummond (1920)--also available from Naxos AudioBooks and read by Roy McMillan--relies heavily on listeners' tolerance for English genre literature of the early 20th century. A by-the-numbers mystery with archetypal characters, it concerns a group of "dirty Reds" trying to disrupt English society. As noted in the introduction, this is very much a book of its time; the English aristocracy's appallingly casual anti-Semitism is glaringly apparent, and all the Jewish characters are villains. Narrator McMillan successfully alternates BBC-like English with accents for characters from outside London and the aristocracy. Younger listeners may not understand some of the Britishisms; consider this the adult equivalent of a Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys genre mystery. Because of its negative if historically accurate attitude toward certain populations and its stock characters, it is strictly an optional purchase.--B. Allison Gray, Santa Barbara P.L., Goleta Branch, CA

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.