Journey of the Dead

Estleman evokes the spirit of the nineteenth-century American Southwest in this episodic historical novel, which features a 129-year-old alchemist who searches the New Mexican desert for a philosopher's stone. The main story he tells is that of Pat Garrett, who is notorious for killing Billy the Kid and whose dreams are now haunted by the infamous gunfighter. Robert Forster narrates in a husky baritone. His Hispanic accent adds realism, and south-of-the-border-style music provides appropriate bridges and breaks while helping to set the mood of the complex plot. Forster portrays Garrett as a troubled soul on a journey, clearly evoking his tortured soul. This production is altogether outstanding. S.C.A. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine