Trouble on His Wings

Hubbard’s pulp novel charts the adventures of hotheaded and heroic Johnny Brice; his dame, Jinx; and his buddy Irish. After Brice—on assignment covering a burning ship at sea for the newsreels—pulls Jinx out of the water, the trio begins gallivanting around the world (from Idaho to Asia) constantly getting in and out of trouble. Performed with great verve in the style of a classic radio play, this full cast recording incorporates realistic sound effects and mood music. While each cast member turns in a stellar performance—especially Jennifer Aspen as the troubled and spunky Jinx—the narration of R.F. Daley steals the show. He reads in a tone that is both excited and vaguely amused—a perfect combination given the pure pulpiness of Hubbard’s text. Listeners in search of an audiobook that’s both fun and fast-paced will be delighted. A Galaxy paperback. (Mar.)