Reviews, News & Feedback

"A surprising but

scrupulously clued puzzle"

Ellery Queen

Mystery Magazine

November 2001

You've heard of movies going direct to video. How about a mystery novel going direct to radio? The first item reviewed below could work quite effectively on the printed page, but its 1940 period and swing music background make it even more fun as a six-hour audiotape.

*** [three-star review] Hal Glatzer: Too Dead To Swing, Audio-Playwrights, audioplay.com, $29.95. Following an all-female band on a murder-interrupted California tour, Glatzer's novel captures the period and the train and bandstand backgrounds flawlessly and delivers a surprising but scrupulously clued puzzle. Future cases in the same format are promised for narrator and amateur detective Katy Green, delightful company as voiced by Susan Egan, who heads a cast of Broadway pros. Ann Hampton Callaway sings three original songs, also by Glatzer though attributed to fictitious bandleader Ted Nywatt, that are excellent in themselves as well as remarkable pastiches of the period's melodic and lyric styles.

-- Jon L. Breen

"High Drama and Action"

Midwest Book Review

The Audiobook Shelf

April 2002

A full Broadway cast performs this vintage 1940s mystery, which lends high drama and action to the story of a musician who joins a female Swing band on tour in California, only to face murder. Add a set of Swing songs performed by Ann Hampton Callaway and you have a multi-faceted production with high drama and action.

"Sure to be popular

with public library patrons"

Booklist

(Am. Library Assn.)

May 2001

Starred * Review

In this full-cast audio play, which includes atmospheric sound effects and three original songs, a murderer is stalking an all-woman swing band. Based on an unpublished novel written in the late 1940s, the script tells the story of protagonist Katy Green, who agrees to join a touring band known as the Ultra Belles.

The swing-era atmosphere is deftly evoked through language and cultural references, as well as through lively swing music, which advances the plot and sets the mood. The production's 15-member cast (comprised of many veteran Broadway actors, including Susan Egan, who stars as Katy Green, and Ann Hampton Callaway, who portrays the band's singer) expertly dramatizes the script.

The first of a proposed audio mystery series featuring this thoughtful, engaging amateur detective-musician Green, this production vividly captures the camaradarie, shenanigans, and catfights of the "all-girl band." Sure to be popular with public library patrons. The package and cassettes include Braille and large-print labeling.

-- Laurie Hartshorn

"Will appeal to many teenagers"

Today's Librarian

May 2001

Someone is systematically murdering the Ultra Belles, an all-girl swing band on tour in the 1940s. Jazz musician Katy Green tries to solve the deadly riddle before anyone else turns up dead. The crusty ladies of the Ultra Belles are no angels. Katy is a voice of reason among the group, which includes a brawler, pot-head and adulteress. Band banter sometimes touches on sex and drugs, though mature subject matter is handles subtly and without glamorizing (after all, this is the '40s). The mystery itself is so-so, but the production is excellent, from sound effects to sound quality. While enjoying the story, listeners learn something about music theory and the history of female musicians (supporting educational information is posted at www.audio-play.com). This musical mystery boasts Broadway actors in the cast and three hep swing tunes performed by a studio band and Tony-nominated singer. The era and original music will appeal to many teenagers, aged 15 and older. Glatzer, a musician and writer, adapted the script from an unpublished novel written by a friend. Teens may want to use this recording as a model for theor own media project.

-- Kimberly Hundley, Editor

"As smooth to listen to

as a swing band is to dance to"

KLIATT

July 2001

This audio-play is as smooth to listen to as a swing band is to dance to. Katy Green is a woman musician who joins an all-girls band, the Ultra Belles, while on tour in California. It is 1940, and the time, the music, the morals, and the atmosphere are portrayed lovingly in the voices of the other musicians, their band leader, and the people they encounter along the way.

The bandleader has sung to a girl in every nightclub across the country, and girls and girl trouble follow him wherever he goes. Unfortunately, one of those followers is a killer and, one by one, the band loses its players to mysterious "accidents." Katy, along with the police, eventually figures out who the killer is, but it takes all her considerable wit and skill.

Even if the mystery is a little too easy and the heroine a little too clever, the music and sound effects are satisfying. The characters are well drawn, with each of the band players exemplifying a type without being a caricature. There's nothing heavy about this audio-play -- neither the plot nor the music -- but it is a pleasant interlude with enough attention to 1940s detail to make the background music to the main melody interesting in itself.

-- Nola Theiss, Sanibel, FL

"This musical mystery is

the cat's meow"

Los AngelesTimes

Dec. 31, 2000

     Small, independent companies often produce only one or two audio books a year. For the most part, the publishers tend to be extremely diligent about recording, editing and packaging. However, the stories are often weak, as they are usually acquired from the public domain, where they should have remained.
     Hal Glatzer overcame this problem by writing his own original "audio-play," "Too Dead to Swing" (Audio-Playwrights; unabridged fiction; four cassettes; six hours; $29.95; full-cast recording). For information, call (415) 487-0720. Set just before the war in 1940, this musical mystery is the cat's meow.
     Glatzer says this is the first of a series of mysteries featuring musician Katy Green. In this adventure, she joins the Ultra Belles, an all-girl swing band, as a replacement when one of the gals is nearly murdered. More crimes occur while the band is traveling, though the culprit leaves enough clues for the clever Katy to eventually piece together a solution.
     The mystery is solid enough that I couldn't figure it out until it was almost over. However, the characters and presentation are what's fun here. Glatzer created colorful personalities, from a bandleader to socialites to a reefer-smoking musician fond of touting the Communist party line. His period details are spot on, and he livens up the proceedings with catchy original songs and music, all of which are reprised at the end of the novel.
     Though a few minor characters are a bit over the top, for the most part this is well acted by a troupe of seasoned Broadway actors. Simon Jones is perfect as the slightly snippy, very bright agent for the band. Susan Egan is well cast as the youthful Katy, and Ann Hampton Callaway has a lovely, mellow voice as the band's singer. Sound effects are used, but with restraint. They bring texture to the story without interfering with performances.
     Another plus is the packaging. A sturdy plastic case is decorated with a cover that could have been culled from a 1940s pulp fiction paperback. Braille was thoughtfully placed on both the outside package and on each tape, making this especially useful for the vision-impaired.
     However, it would have been useful had the cast been listed with the part each played, instead of making us guess.

-- Rochelle O'Gorman

marvelously entertaining"

Publishers Weekly

Dec. 4, 2000

This marvelously entertaining audio dramatization will appeal to fans of noir mysteries, old-time radio plays and 1940s swing music.

Musician Katy Green is between gigs when she runs into her ex-boyfriend, songwriter Ted Nywatt, at an amusement park, along with the members of the all-girl swing band, the Ultra Belles, he has formed to showcase his songs. As they talk, the Ultra Belles' violinist is suddenly pushed off the pier by an unknown assailant.

With the violinist out of commission, Ted asks Katy to take her place for the Ultra Belles' upcoming tour. From there, the action is fast and furious as, one by one, the Ultra Belles and their entourage are murdered.

The audio production is excellent, with appropriate sound effects enhancing the settings without ever distracting from the story. Best of all is the authentic-sounding 1940s swing music, performed by Ann Hampton Callaway backed by a studio band.

The entire cast acts superbly; especially convincing are Susan Egan as earnest, intelligent Katy; Simon Jones as the band's unflappable British publicist; Barbara Rosenblat as drunken Suzanne; and Ann Meisels as defiant Jack, the tomboyish Communist member of the group.

Fans of inventive audio drama will be thrilled to discover that this adaptation is merely the first installment in an original series of KatyGreen mysteries.

-- Trudi Rosenblum

"Listen Up Award 2000

- Best Dramatization"

Publishers Weekly

Jan. 1, 2001

"Words that are music to your ears. Last year's best of the best.

"This crop of audio releases was a feast for the listener, with a fine variety of excellent titles in all genres. Here, we focus on those that are truly outstanding and deserving of a closer look."
"Set in the 1940s, this marvelously entertaining, original audio mystery is marked by outstanding production values, an excellent cast, an admirable attention to detail and some toe-tapping original swing music."

-- Mark Rotella, Trudi M. Rosenblum, Shannon Maughan

"Great Audio Theater"

Philadelphia Inquirer

February 4, 2001

It's 1940, and musician Katy Green has just joined the all-female swing band, the Ultra Belles. They're on an overnight train to the next gig when - eeek! - one of the musicians is murdered in her sleeping compartment.

That's just after one is pushed off a pier. And before another is attacked in the ladies' room. Someone must not like their music. Or maybe they just don't like the vibes between bandleader/composer Ted Nywatt and the latest of his many girlfriends. Anyway, there's trouble in Swingland, and it makes for great audio theater on the production, Too Dead To Swing (6 hours, $29.95), the debut recording from a San Francisco company called Audio-Playwrights.

Producer Hal Glatzer adapted the script from a novel by Hannah Dobryn, who wrote a series of Katy Green mysteries in the '40s. None were ever published, but Glatzer knew about them and adapted the first for audio. He added original swing music and sound effects and - ta-da! - it works.

Glatzer managed to assemble a high-talent cast. The one that caught my attention was Barbara Rosenblat, a veteran reader for Recorded Books. Then there's Susan Egan as Katy. She starred in last year's New York production of Cabaret.

Tony-nominee Ann Hampton Calloway portrays the band's singer. It's hard to go wrong with folks like that.

There are a lot of little details behind this production that, while they don't make the audio intrinsically better, are nice to know. For instance, there really is a composer named Ted Nywatt. He knew Dobryn, and she incorporated his lyrics into her novel.

Glatzer is a mystery writer, but he also plays vintage jazz and swing on guitar, is director of the Art Deco Society of California, and curates a collection of sheet music from Tin Pan Alley.

He intends to make a series of Katy Green audios. Green, a professional musician, is always looking for work, so her various jobs give a different tune to each of the recordings. Chamber music is the backbone for A Fugue in Hell's Kitchen, about a New York music school. In The Last Full Measure, she joins a shipboard dance orchestra bound for Hawaii. And so on.

Can't wait.

-- Sandy Bauers sbauers@phillynews.com

"Rollicking"

Indianapolis Star

Jan. 26, 2001

    Does anyone use the word "rollicking" any more?
    Well, let's bring it out of retirement and attach it to "Too Dead to Swing," an audio-book production of Audio-Playwrights (6 hours, $29.95).
    The story is a rollicking re-creation of 1940s radio mysteries without the tinny sound. A full cast of readers (it's a book, not a play), some spirited music and well-placed sound effects makes this one of the best-sounding audio books of recent weeks.
    The story focuses on musician Katy Green. She joins an all-woman swing band, the Ultra Belles, when one member falls (or was she pushed?) from a municipal pier in California. Then another member is murdered on an overnight train trip. But the show must go on, right? And that's just the beginning for the listener.

-- Rich Gotshall

"Enthusiastically recommended

for Library Collections"

The Midwest

Book Review

March 2001

Too Dead To Swing is a superbly written murder mystery by Hannah Dobryn and set in 1940. Hal Glatzer has splendidly adapted Dobryn's novel as an audio-play, complete with a brilliant cast, music and sound effects. Katy Green is a musician who joins an all-girl swing band on tour through the United States. The problem is that members of the band are being injured and killed under the most puzzling of circumstances. Susan Egan heads a multiple performer Broadway cast in a vintage "whodunnit" that is wonderfully enhanced with original swing music performed by Ann Hampton Callaway. Too Dead To Swing is a 6-hour, four-cassette, flawless production that is enthusiastically recommended for personal and community library audiobook collections.

-- James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief

"All Good Fun"

Show Music

The Musical Theater Magazine

Spring 2001

It isn't a musical, but Audio-Playwrights' Too Dead To Swing, from an unpublished novel by Hannah Dobryn, will interest musical theater fans for its cast, which includes Susan Egan (Triumph of Love), Harry Groener (Crazy For You) and Ann Hampton Callaway (Swing!). Audiobooks are big business these days, but unlike most, which often have only a reader, this one is fully cast, with sound effects that recall the long-ago days of radio plays.

Egan is Too Dead's smart heroine, '40s musician Katy Green, who joins an "all-girl" swing band (except for Groener, as its leader) and becomes embroiled in murder. As the band's singer, Callaway has three new '40s-style songs, reprised as a bonus at the end of the tapes. It's all good fun and will particularly entertain those who spend their commute times listening to tapes.

-- Max O. Preeo, Editor

"A cast of Broadway regulars

delivers their parts flawlessly"

ForeWord

Magazine

February 2001

Too Dead To Swing embarks with an uptempo Swing number that jitterbugs right into the silky clear voice of the murder mystery's heroine, Katy Green.

.... Susan Egan portrays Katy as intelligent and strong enough to take on drama typically written for the male hero of the 1940s. She knows ju-jitsu and is wise enough not to go to the deep end with the Casanova types.

.... Too Dead To Swing is a dramatization reminiscent of the old radio plays with believable sound effects. A cast of Broadway regulars delivers their parts flawlessly, making the six hours of audio-play seem like six minutes.

-- Vyvyan Lynn

"A Memorable Mystery"

Murder: Past Tense

the journal of

The Historical Mystery Appreciation Society

Spring 2001

In Too Dead To Swing, the storyline, the characters, and the way the audio is presented make this a memorable mystery.

.... Listeners will be entranced by the whole set up. The background sounds remind the listener where the characters are, whether it’s on a moving train, the seaside, or a restaurant. The different characters’ voices help to keep the story straight. It has all the markings of a BBC radio show only it’s made in America.

The author Hannah Dobryn wrote four musical mysteries with Katy Green. Too Dead To Swing has swing music in the theme, A Fugue In Hell's Kitchen has chamber music in its theme, Old Arrangements has a hometown band in its theme, and The Last Full Measure has a shipboard dance orchestra in its theme. It’s a wonderful series that has not been given its full measure of attention and that’s too bad.

Audio Playwrights presents Too Dead To Swing on audio. The audio is set up with a Broadway cast, who are also individually popular actors, playing the characters. Ann Hampton Callaway performs the swing songs. It was produced and directed by Patricia Childs, and Earl V. Spielman produced the music. The audiotapes are even individually marked in Braille.

reprinted with the permission of Sue Feder and HMAS

ONLINE REVIEWS

A "Rapid-Tempo Tale"

Reuters May 12, 2001

Too Dead to Swing is an elaborate stageplay-like musical/murder mystery in which death stalks a 1940s all-girl swing band. The rapid-tempo tale is punctuated by gunshots, piercing shrieks, train whistles, toe-tapping Swing-era songs and (''Wow! Look at all that blood!'') descriptive narrative ($29.95). For more information, call Audio Playwrights in San Francisco at 415-487-0720 or go to http://www.audio-play.com.

-- by Gunna Dickson, Reuters

"A New High Water Mark for the Genre"

Midwest Record Recap February 2001

"One of the fun things about dealing with people who don’t play by the rules is that you might get something really wonderful. Producer Hal Glatzer blows the doors off the usual audio book format and brings to bear what a lot of fans would have liked for a long time now. Tackling a full blown, original audio play with some stellar cast members, Glatzer takes us back to the 40’s for a jazz murder mystery that’s a real kick. Well produced and riveting throughout, this fun set makes a new high water mark for the genre."

-- by Chris Spector

"A delightful simulation of a radio play"

Journal of the International Association of Jazz Record Collectors

May 2001

"Too Dead To Swing is a delightful simulation of a radio play, fully staged with a cast led by Broadway stars Susan Egan, Harry Groener, and Simon Jones. The clever plot, set in 1940, involves a series of murders as an all-girl Swing band tours California. It is fully salted with references to music, the travails of touring, the band business, and events of the period.

"Good music recorded by [Nashville] studio musicians is heard throughout, and the band's singer is played by Ann Hampton Callaway, who sings three original songs that nicely capture the sound of the time. Her similarity to Jo Stafford is more than usually prominent. The not-quite film noir mystery ambles along, but the characters and musical references fully hold the listener's attention.

"Hal Glatzer's play is "from a novel by Hannah Dobryn," also Hal Glatzer, and the songs are "by Ted Nywatt," the fictional band leader, but were also written by Glatzer.

"There is a companion Web site with colorful pages of supplementary material on the period, and an order form for sheet music of the songs, which are printed with covers nicely capturing the style of the time. The cassette box cover resembles that of a dime novel. Both the play and the Web site are well worth the time."

-- by Art Hilgart,

"This Would Make A

Great Christmas Present"

Talkin' Broadway February 2001

For something completely different, we now go back in time to 1940 when both swing music and radio dramas were at their peak. A new audio book/drama, Too Dead to Swing, combines the two to create a six hour murder mystery contained on four audio-tapes.

The story centers around musician Katy Green, who joins an accident-prone all-girl swing band on its California tour. As people around her get murdered, she must solve the mystery or face being accused of the crimes (or worse; become the next victim).

Audio-Playwrights has recorded this fusion of a 'book on tape' and a radio drama with a stellar cast. Susan Egan plays the narrator/heroine Katy Green and she is joined by Ann Hampton Callaway as the lead singer, Eileen, and Harry Groener as the composer/bandleader Ted Nywatt.

The back story of Too Dead to Swing is as interesting as the mystery itself. The Executive Producer, Hal Glatzer (a San Francisco based mystery writer himself) lived next door to its author, Hannah Dobryn, who had ghost written a popular girl-detective series in the 30's. Her own books were never published and were willed to Hal, who decided to develop them into a series of dramatic tapes. An interesting side note: there actually was a Ted Nywatt, who was a friend of Hannah's, and he really did compose the three songs featured in Too Dead to Swing. The songs, of course, are sung by Ann Hampton Callaway, who is backed by a killer swing band.

The mystery is enjoyable and amazingly modern in sensibility, and the tapes feature excellent production values, While the story lags occasionally due to an overabundance of narrative versus action in places, the actors are extremely capable and the tapes provide a perfect accompaniment for a long commute or workout. The only complaint I have with Too Dead to Swing is that it was only released on tape, since CDs would be a great deal more convenient. But that is a minor quibble and one I hope will be fixed when the next Katy Green mystery is released.

The tapes are well labeled for those who are vision impaired, and the website www.toodeadtoswing.com is chock full of fascinating tidbits on the era. All in all, this would make a great Christmas present.

-- by Guest Columnist, Jonathan Frank

"A Strong Start for (a) New Publisher"

AudioFile - October/November 2000

This audio theater program will delight listeners who love swing music. In the '40s, musician Katy Green fills in with an all-girl swing band, the Ultra Belles. As trains clickety-clack up the West Coast, Katy tries to get in sync with this dynamic group, but one band member after another meets an unfortunate end. More than a dozen actors take part in this fun revival piece; Simon Jones as the band's agent is particularly strong, and Ann Hampton Callaway's songs are a treat. Several songs are repeated in full at the end of the tape. It's a strong start for new publisher Audio-Playwrights, with careful attention to detail, music, and sound effects. The less than compelling mystery underneath is all but forgiven.

-- by Robin F. Witten © AudioFile 2000

"Captures the Feel of Live Theater"

Audiobookcafe.com Feb. 9, 2001

I love the theater. I the lights, the stage, and actors breathing in their roles. I seem to enjoy audio theater as well. I heard Audio Playwrights production Too Dead to Swing (four cassettes, six hours, original audio production-multi cast, Audio Playwrights) and this tape captures the feel of live theater.

Actress Susan Egan seems unsure in her lead narration in the beginning, but warms to the format. However, Simon Jones steals every audio scene he is in. Harry Groener and Barbara Rosenblat also prove their audio talent in this ensemble cast. The story by Hal Glatzer is a 1940 throwback thriller and works so well in an audio format. This audio showcase makes me want to go the theater soon.

-- by Bennett Pomerantz

"Film Noir For Your Tape Deck"

Canada Computes Sept. 15, 2000

Computertimes September 2000

We've been seeing online movie trailers--those extended preview commercials that long ago replaced cartoons in movie theaters--for some time. So why not Webcast a trailer for a murder mystery that exists only on audiocassette? It's happening at the site dedicated to audio play Too Dead To Swing, written by San Francisco playwright Hal Glatzer. The play, a sort of film noir for your tape deck, is set in 1940, contains a number of swing-era songs and is performed by a full cast of Broadway actors. Glatzer says the work combines the best of both radio plays and audio books; it features the natural dialogue of radio plays, but contains about five hours of material.

"Almost Too Good To Be True"

MERMANIAC: a Show Tunes Weblog July 2, 2000

This is almost too good to be true, at least too good if you're me. Hannah Dobryn -- a ghostwriter for a series of girl-detective books in the 1930s -- wrote under her own name a series of mystery novels featuring Katy Green. Katy was a musician, and she solved murders set in different musical environments: all-girl swing band, chamber music ensemble, hometown band, shipboard dance orchestra. These books, written in the late 40s, were never published.

Hal Glatzer, who was bequeathed Dobryn's manuscripts, has adapted the first Katy Green novel TOO DEAD TO SWING as an "audioplay", using a full cast of Broadway performers (including Susan Egan, Ann Hampton Callaway and Harry Groener), three original songs (sung by Callaway), and sound-effects. If all goes well, Glatzer will adapt the other Green novels in the same manner; A FUGUE IN HELL'S KITCHEN is set for next year. The official TOO DEAD TO SWING website is great, and you can listen to an 8-minute audio "trailer". If, like me, you like old-time radio in addition to show tunes, you oughta be in heaven.

-- posted by Bill Jennings

Music to the ears

(or "Swing music can be deadly")

In The Groove magazine

I’ve been listening to audio books for over 30 years and this year was the first time anyone added music performances to a work of fiction.

Too Dead To Swing (Audio-Playwrights) is the first in a series of mysteries based on an unpublished novel by Hannah Dobryn. The audiotape set tells the story of a 1940s all-girl swing band which mysteriously begins losing it’s members. The band's newest member, Katy Green, is concerned about this, and over the next six hours you follow along with her as the clues pile up (as well as the bodies!) until the mystery is solved.

The band has lots of gigs on the west coast and this is an opportunity for the producers to include three or four newly composed swing songs. With cabaret star Ann Hampton Callaway as the band’s lead vocalist, we’re treated to some great vocalizing. And Susan Egan (star of the Broadway hit Cabaret) is great as Katy.

The whole thing is played as an old time radio show, complete with sound effects. Though this does add some realism to the performance, I often found it annoying when the train sounds or carnival noises continued over the dialogue. It was equivalent to having someone read you a great story while you are in a crowded noisy bar. Despite this weakness, the plot is well written and the music is great. What a wonderful way to entertain yourself while you are stuck on the freeway.

As a bonus, the songs are reprised at the end of the book so you can hear them uninterrupted. More volumes are planned and I’ll be looking forward to them.

-- Steve Ramm

FEEDBACK

LETTERS AND EMAILS FROM LISTENERS

"What an entertaining experience"

     Mr. Glatzer,
     I had the great good fortune of receiving "Too Dead to Swing" over the recent holiday. What an entertaining
experience.
     The story was captivating, the production values were sound, and the cast and crew gave first rate
performances. Your combination of narration and
dramatization made the story very accessible.
     The accompanying web site added a nice touch to the
whole experience. Kudos to you and your team for "Too
Dead To Swing". I look forward to the next Katy Green
audio mystery.
     Sincerely,
     [signed] William Spear,

     Founder and President: Hunterdon Radio Theatre
     [a 501 (C)3 tax exempt nonprofit NJ corporation]
     Clinton, NJ www.hrtonline.org

"Audio at its very best"

"Too Dead to Swing" is great! It's so much more than the usual audio books. For anyone who can remember when radio was in it's prime as far as drama and mystery, this audio will take you back. It's audio at it's very best--and the story is intriguing.
[signed] Marilyn Meredith, author of

historical novels, Christian horror, and more

"One of the best productions I've ever heard"

I just finished listening to Too Dead to Swing and it was outstanding. I listen to a lot of audio books and this is one of the best productions I've ever heard. Nice job, Hal.

[signed] William Manchee, author of

Cash Call, and the Stan Turner mysteries

"I never realized how much I enjoyed that era."

I LOVED Too Dead to Swing. The music was great -- I never realized how much I enjoyed that era. "Walking on Eggshells" is a wonderful sound! I particularly liked Katy Green -- both her personality and incredible voice. The sound track was very clear and yet reminiscent of the era. Good mix.

Are you doing any more? Keep me updated -- you definitely have a fan!

[signed] Dr. Jeri Fink, family therapist

author of "Virtual Terror," and Web diva for

Sisters In Crime/TriState (NY)

"Character development Excellent"

     I finished listening to your cassette "Too Dead To Swing" Here are my thoughts:
     1) Technical recording in 3D very good
     2) Skill of Actors Excellent
     3) Plot very Good (It was hard to tell who done it until the last 1/2 hour)
     4) Character development Excellent
     5) Story line good (I think my wife would really like the story line. My personnel tastes are more techy like the Bourne Identity or something like that. This of course is not your issue.)
     Overall great job!!!
     I will be coming back to the audio well when your next story is out.
     [signed] Mark Baker

"I felt transported to the 1940s"

I listened to "Too Dead to Swing" on audio tapes and I just loved it! I felt transported to the 1940's - the history and ambiance was wonderful. Please tell me you are going to write more books if not with Katy Green, at least in the same time period. This is the absolute best story of this time period that I have ever encountered.

Best regards,

[signed] Marilyn Tripp

"You realized the potential of audiobooks"

I just wanted to tell you that both I and my son (10 years old) loved the tape of "Too Dead To Swing," and I loved your web site. I felt like you'd realized the potential of audiobooks in a way that most books on tape don't.

Thanks much.

[signed] China Brotsky and Dan Roth

"A Real Tape-Turner!"

I just had to write to you. I'm the catalog manager at the LodesTone Audio Theatre Catalog, and a friend of mine who works at the place that did the duplication [for Too Dead To Swing] told me that I just had to hear it. He was right -- the production value is superb, the plot gripping (a real tape-turner!), and I'm just a bit partial to Swing too; it's no wonder I liked it!

But most of all, I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed learning about the history of the story, the author, and the music. It's just fantastic to hear all about it, and I simply had to thank you for all the effort that obviously went into your Web site, which I think is fabulous. Please pass my words along to the rest of those responsible.

Can you tell me whether there are any more Katy Green mysteries already produced and ready for distribution? I'm so impressed with the one story I've heard by the author; sometimes it's difficult to find audio theatre with strong female characters, and this one is superb!

Thanks very much.

[signed] Heather Lea Hitson

Bloomington, IN

"At the end I couldn't help myself."

I just finished listening to "Too Dead to Swing". I bought it before Christmas but have been saving it for a good listening opportunity. I've been listening to it during my fitness workouts, a half-hour at a time. But at the end I couldn't help myself and listened to the final tape all the way through in one sitting.

It really was a pleasure. The music, and the readings, and the SFX [sound effects] all worked together to transport me to that era (a pleasure to visit though I wouldn't want to live there). The actress who read Katy Green was a great choice and did a great job conveying a believable, likeable and interesting character.

The story of the audio-play's origins was quite interesting too. I'm glad I saw it on the Web site and hope most purchasers of the play also get to the Web site to see this additional material.

Congratulations on preserving the material and successfully revisioning it into an enjoyable entertainment both as a story and musically. I look forward to hearing more of Katy in the future.

Bravo!

[signed] Jim Edlin

San Francisco, CA

"I can't get it out of my mind."

What an amazingly delicious book! Who'd have thought that you could have an audio book with songs, many characters and a great mystery to solve. I loved hearing it---it just took you back to that time and place---the era of all-woman bands, touring by rail, the bickering, the wit---AND the murders!

The cast is great---top Broadway all the way. And the songs should be played on the radio today, that's how good they are. My favorite is "Walkin' on Eggshells"; I can't get it out of my mind.

My highest rating.

[signed] Mary Ann Murphy

Spokane, WA

[This letter is also posted on amazon.com]

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