Post Captain

Maturin series continues the naval action. It's 1803, and Jack Aubrey's agent has gone bankrupt, leaving Jack to flee from his creditors to avoid debtor's prison. Both he and Dr. Maturin get involved with women, and they continue to make music aboard ship as they get embroiled in one skirmish after another. Lee's performance is outstanding on every level. His characters' voices are totally convincing, and his perfect timing conveys the humor that threads through the story. In addition, he handles the emotional and romantic scenes sensitively, reading masterfully the many technical passages regarding sailing and sea battles. Listeners will have to pay close attention to follow scene, time, and character shifts that occur within chapters without warning, and some may tire of the descriptions of rigging, sails, etc. Still, with Lee reading, this stands out as one of the best audiobook performances ever. S.S.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine