Scales of Gold

The fourth in Dunnett's exhaustive saga of mercantile adventures set in the mid-fifteenth century concerns hero Nicholas's travels to Africa. With cool aplomb Christopher Kay narrates this tale of skirmishes on the high seas, trading coups, and vicious rivalries. Kay has a real talent for investing each character with a signature voice and never faltering. We recognize voices from past novels and enjoy new ones, such as that of the Scottish companion, Bel. Listening to this recording is like being transported back in time, but sometimes the sheer weight of literary and historical details is overwhelming. This would have been a good candidate for an abridged recording. D.L.G. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine

May 4, 1992
From the glassworks of Murano to the commercial hub of Timbuktu--and through fearsome peril on land and sea--entrepreneurship, religion, gold fever, friendship and revenge fuel this rich historical romance from a masterful raconteur. In 1464, adventurer and merchant banker Nicholas van der Pole (hero of three previous Dunnett novels) returns to Venice to find his financial empire in jeopardy due to the Crusades and the onslaught of powerful, unscrupulous competitors. Closely guarding the specifics of his mission, Nicholas sets out for Africa and its gold trade, taking with him his closest friend Loppe, guide and former slave; Father Godscalc, a would-be missionary to Ethiopia; Diniz, his impetuous young cousin; and Gelis van Borselen, a strong, brilliant woman who blames Nicholas for the death of her sister. Relying on Nicholas's unflappability, his instinct for leadership and especially his ever-calculating intelligence, the unlikely group make their way deep into the continent's perilous, uncharted interior. Moving briskly from thick jungles to barren deserts to opulent salons throughout Europe, Dunnett ( Race of Scorpions ) fills each page with wit and winning detail.