Audiobook Thursday - STILL MISSING

First line: "You know, Doc, you're not the first shrink I've seen since I got back."

Annie O'Sullivan tells the story of her abduction and captivity through sessions with her psychologist. A realtor, Annie was hosting an open house when a man posing as an interested buyer, kidnapped Annie at gunpoint. He held her captive in a secluded cabin for a year before she escaped. Through her sessions with the psychologist she attempts to come to terms with what happened to her and how she can assimilate back into her normal life.

Chevy Stevens' debut novel made a lot of noise when it was released last year. It took me awhile but I finally was able to experience it for myself. She definitely set her bar high with Book 1. Stevens' choice to tell the story in first person and all through monologue of Annie talking to her psychologist brought out the mixture of anger, frustration and fear. It also works to take the reader out of his/her comfortable position as observer. STILL MISSING is a very powerful and uncomfortable read.

Another effect of Stevens' choice of narration is the 360 degree view that the reader sees of Annie. Then the flatter view of those around her heightens the good and bad of their characters. I think that really ramps up the emotion of the story.

The plot is well developed and tightly written. For the feint of heart, this might be a little challenging. Stevens doesn't coddle her reader; she's exploring an ugly subject and the events reflect that, but they never reach a gratuitous level.

There were a rare few oddities for me throughout STILL MISSING but nothing that deterred me from enjoying the experience of reading it. For those who are like me and a wee bit behind, let me recommend for you STILL MISSING. Chevy Stevens second novel is coming out in a few weeks and I'll definitely be following up with that one.

I listened to STILL MISSING on audio, narrated by Angela Dawe. This was my first experience with Dawe as a narrator and I think she did a splendid job. The style of the novel didn't challenge her with a lot of character voices but it was a highly emotional text. Dawes balanced the emotions of the novel expertly and enhanced the effect. STILL MISSING is a great book for audio.

STILL MISSING was produced for audio by Brilliance (ISBN: 978-1455838530) and is available in print from St. Martin's Press (hardcover ISBN: 978-031259567) and St. Martin's Griffin (trade paper ISBN:  978-0312573577).

Audiobook Thursday - A PLACE OF EXECUTION

First line: "Like Alison Carter, I was born in Derbyshire in 1950."

George Bennett is a police inspector assigned to the disappearance of Alison Carter, a young girl living in the community of Scardale. Bennett's first hurdle to overcome is the closed nature of the community. No one trusts outsiders, and especially not police outsiders, so no one is willing to talk. Little by little George breaks down the barriers, determined to solve the mystery of Alison's disappearance, even though he knows he's solving the mystery of her death.

Val McDermid's A PLACE OF EXECUTION is a literary mind game. The elaborate layers of mystery and suspense held me captive throughout the entire audiobook. McDermid shrouds the story in an eerie darkness that acts much the way music does in a suspenseful movie.

McDermid chose to tell the story as a flashback which also helped to build the suspense. Listening to the book on audio was an especially wonderful treat as some of the flashback wasn't readily discernible as such. I believe that enhanced the tension of the plot even further.

Strong social issues contribute to the complexity as well. Bennett and his partner, Tommy Clough, contemplate their feelings on capital punishment and the circumstances in which they'd condone its use. Scardale is lorded over by Philip Hawkin, who for all intents and purposes, owns the people of Scardale. McDermid also sneaks in the effects of wrongly accusing individuals in an investigation and the responsibility for the fallout.

The characters inhabiting A PLACE OF EXECUTION are all suspect in the investigation. The little town is overflowing with secrets and deception. The beguilement defines them all, leaving the plot even more mysterious.

The shade of gray in this novel far outweigh the black and white; in the issues of the novel as well as the characters. McDermid will leave you wondering if you really know all you THINK you know.

A PLACE OF EXECUTION is an amazing psychological thriller. The Brilliance audiobook narrated by Paddy Glynn does an excellent job of creating the mysterious atmosphere, building the suspense, interpreting the characters. There's not a lot of distinction between characters, with the possible exception of the old woman, Ma Lomas. That combined with the complexity of the novel requires good attention while listening to this book, but the novel itself draws your attention in without any other factors playing a part. I was a little surprised that Brilliance opted for a woman to narrate since the bulk of the book is centered around the male George Bennett. It's a moot point in the whole scheme of the recording. This is most certainly an audiobook worth listening to. Will make for great entertainment on a long drive or air plane flight.

A PLACE OF EXECUTION was published in the United States by Minotaur (ISBN: 978-0-312-26632-5) and on audio by Brilliance Audio (ISBN: 978-1-593-35294-3).

Audiobook Thursday - Three for the Price of One

I mentioned on Tuesday when I reviewed Julia Spencer-Fleming's ONE WAS A SOLDIER that I had gone back to listen to some of the earlier books in the series. I finished books one through three and decided to talk about them altogether here for this week's audiobook Thursday since they all have the same narrator.

Book 1 in the Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne series is IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER:

First line: "It was one hell of a night to throw a baby away."

Julia Spencer-Fleming introduces her series with a baby left on the steps of the town Episcopal Church in the dead of winter, where the new priest, Clare Fergusson, finds it. A note is left with the baby instructing the baby be given to a couple in the parish to adopt. However, adoption laws aren't quite that easy and the police chief, Russ Van Alstyne has to investigate the baby's abandonment. When the baby's mother is found dead, the investigation intensifies. Meanwhile sparks are also starting to fly between the priest and the married police chief.

Book 2 in the series is A FOUNTAIN FILLED WITH BLOOD:

First line: "The yahoos came by just after the dinner party broke up."

Clare Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne meet up again in Millers Kill when Emil Dvorak, the county medical examiner, is viciously attacked. Emil is the partner of Clare's good friend, Paul Foubert. When a second victim is discovered in his video rental store, Clare begins to press Russ into telling the town that a string of hate crimes is happening. The situation escalates even further when the developer of a posh spa, also a gay man, is found murdered in the park.

And Book 3 in the series is OUT OF THE DEEP I CRY:

First line: "Russ Van Alstyne had just gotten a tug on his line when he saw the old lady get up from between the headstones she had been trimming, lay down her gardening tools, and walk into the reservoir."

Spencer-Fleming makes a bit of a style change in the third installment in her series. In OUT OF THE DEEP I CRY, she tells the story through a series of flashback and current events. When St. Alban's roof finally springs a link, the vestry has no choice but to do something about it. They can't borrow money as the Church is too far in debt. So Mrs. Marshall, one of the vestry members, decides to break the trust her mother left her and give the money to St. Alban's to fix the roof. However, breaking the trust also means taking away the interest from the local medical clinic that Mrs. Marshall's mother helped established years ago. What seems like a paltry amount ends up wreaking havoc on Millers Kill.

I decided to review these altogether today because each of these books reflects the strengths of Julia Spencer-Fleming as a writer. She creates vivid characters with down-to-Earth qualities and characteristics. Much like Louise Penny or Craig Johnson, the consistency in characters from book to book makes the reader feel as though he/she is coming back to Millers Kill for a visit, seeing old friends again.

As I mentioned in my ONE WAS A SOLDIER review, I have a special affinity for Clare. Her well-meaning actions sometimes lead her straight into trouble. I can identify with that. Her periodic reflections on whether she's chosen the right life path. I can identify with that. Her tendency to end up wrinkled and disheveled. I can definitely identify with that. Clare and I share a great disdain for winter. I even drove a Mustang convertible at one time, but it wasn't a Shelby. I also won't be joining the seminary or flying helicopters anytime soon. But Spencer-Fleming takes a fictional character in a role we normally idealize and shows that character for the human she is. Spencer-Fleming does a masterful job of this.

Each of the novels centers around at least one social issue, flushing it out for the complicated situation that it is. Rarely is it as black and white as activists or politicians would like us to believe. The perfect storm of legal, moral and psychological ramifications often takes place smack in the middle of the plot. Clare's insistence on being right in the middle of police investigations may be a bit of a reach, but one readers will happily overlook for the pleasures of reading this series.

The Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne series includes all elements of life: the funny parts, the serious parts, the scary parts, the happy parts and the sad parts. I believe that's what makes this series so rich. I went from one audiobook to the next to the next because I didn't want to leave Millers Kill and it's citizens. They've become my friends.

This audiobook series is recorded by AudioGo, formerly BBC America. All of the books are read by Suzanne Toren. I adore Toren for all of the female characters, especially Clare, but for the male characters I see a old woman who has smoked all her life. After a short while I grew use to it and didn't notice it quite as much, but it was kind of jarring at first. The other type of character that was a little painful for my ears was young males. There is a young police officer, in his early 20s, but her characterization of him sounds more like pre-pubescent. And when you're hearing a book, that alters the image of the character.

That being said, I do like this series on audio. Those two details are ones that after a short while you grow accustomed to because Toren does such a wonderful job of setting tone and the mood of the characters. The pacing is also exceptional. And she seems to have an intuitive understanding of the characters as well as Spencer-Fleming's humor.

I have three more books to catch up with the series, and I will listen to them all on audio. This is a series I would recommend to others who enjoy audiobooks.

Audiobook Thursday - ON THE WRONG TRACK

First line: "Few things dampen a man's appreciation for natural splendor more quickly than the sound of another man retching."

Otto and Gustav have hung up their saddles to take an undercover job on the railroad in ON THE WRONG TRACK. Their job is to protect the train from a band of outlaws that have been targeting the Pacific Express, but on their trek to San Francisco, there's more to worry about than outlaws.

ON THE WRONG TRACK is the second book in Steve Hockensmith's Holmes on the Range mystery series. The deliciously colorful characters, smart who-dunnit plots and priceless dialogue makes this a series I enjoy coming back to.

Hockensmith does a commendable job weaving Sherlock Holmes into the tales both literally and metaphorically. The plots are also created in the style of Holmes, presenting all the clues to the reader in a fair mystery. The reader has as much of a chance at solving the crime as Hockensmith's protagonists.

And speaking of protagonists, The Amlingmeyer Brothers are not only engaging characters, but the relationship between the two is worth the price of admission. I think having two sisters makes me more acutely aware of the small nuances that work to make the Amlingmeyer relationship so realistic. The differences in personalities combined with a familiar allegiance makes for seemingly contradictory behavior on the part of the brothers. But anyone with a sibling will recognize the authenticity.

"Our tickets were waiting for us under 'Dissimulo' like Colonel Crowe said, though the clerk behind the counter gave me the evil eye when I had trouble pronouncing what was supposedly my own last name.

'Dissimulo - what kinda handle is that anyway?' I asked Gustav as we went looking for a porter to take our things.

'Sounds I-talian,' my brother muttered.

'I guess I oughta start callin' you Giuseppe then. You can call me Leonardo.'

'How 'bout I just call you Chucklehead?' Old read said wearily, as if making digs at me was an obligation he could barely muster the strength to meet. 'If we're gonna take on another name, it may as well be something that fits us.'

That actually seemed sensible to me - which is why, soon afterward, I checked in our saddles and war bags under the name Gustav Holmes."

The supporting and minor characters of ON THE WRONG TRACK are an array of personality and splendor. All together locked in a train throughout the course of the novel makes for great conflict, tension and numerous red herrings.

I listened to ON THE WRONG TRACK on audio from Tantor Audio, narrated by William Dufris. I have mixed feelings on this audiobook. I think it is well recorded and Dufris does a good job of bringing out Hockensmith's humor. I also think Dufris does an amazing job voicing all the supporting characters. However, it's Gustav and Otto that I have difficulties with. My interpretation of their characters is significantly different than the characters Dufris brings to life with his narration. It isn't simply what they sound like but their mannerisms, their dialects and their behaviors. If a reader/listener listens to the series from the start, their reaction to the audios may be quite different from mine. I have tainted my views on these characters by having read them in print first, I believe.

ON THE WRONG TRACK is available in trade paper (ISBN: 978-0-312-37288-0) from Minotaur and on audiobook from Tantor Audio (ISBN: 978-1-400-15355-8).

Audiobook Thursday - THE LAST TEMPTATION

First line: "Blue is one colour the Danube never manages."

Detective Inspector Carol Jordan is recruited by the National Criminal Intelligence Service, NCIS, to infiltrate a human trafficking ring. Her uncanny resemblance to the mastermind's dead girlfriend ensures she'll have an easy time working her way in, but once inside she's essentially flying solo in a very dangerous situation. Meanwhile, Tony Hill is tiring of his self-imposed retirement and agrees to help with a rogue murder investigation that simultaneously keeps him near Carol. Two female cops who are friends but living in different countries discover a pattern and believe a serial killer is loose and targeting psychologists. But since the murders are happening in different countries, no department is pursuing the serial aspect.Tony comes in to profile the killer, but his work and his proximity to Carol leads to far more than anyone expected.

Val McDermid's Jordan/Hill series is darker and grittier than her Kate Brannigan or Lindsay Gordon series, but she handles it with as much expertise and aplomb as the lighter crime series. McDermid has no reservations about being authentic, about allowing the reader to simply be comfortable. Instead she drives home the brutal reality of depravity and those who inflict it on others.

While THE LAST TEMPTATION, the third book in this series, is uncomfortable, dark and authentic, it is also handled in a respectful presentation. The violence is more often alluded to than graphically detailed and McDermid never even flirts with a level that would be gratuitous. The most unsettling feelings come from your own imagination as McDermid leads the reader to those images.

One of the many qualities I admire about McDermid's writing no matter what the project is her diversity of character. There is a whole spectrum of character types and yet none of them comes across as stereotypical or cardboard. The various antagonists in the novel are most certainly sociopaths but there's more to them than depravity. Carol Jordan is an ambitious law enforcement agent. That ambition is a double-edged sword; it is what allows her to walk right into a con perpetrated by her own colleagues. It's this faithfulness to the whole character that allows a reader to be invested in their exploits and experiences.

McDermid additionally challenges her readers with the themes in THE LAST TEMPTATION. As with the characters, these aren't black and white. There's a look at corruption in law enforcement, the effects of Nazis on the generations to follow World War II, ambition and interpersonal relationships.

THE LAST TEMPTATION isn't for the feint of heart, but it is rich and challenging. McDermid will likely leave you with more questions than answers, but to me, that's the sign of a job well done.

THE LAST TEMPTATION is a Recorded Books audio narrated by Gerald Doyle. It is a well made audio, but I have to say I was a little surprised at the choice to use a male narrator for this book. I think a female narrator would have been a better choice as the primary focus of the novel centered around three women: Carol Jordan, Petra Becker and Marijke van Hasselt. Otherwise, it was an enjoyable audio experience. Doyle does a nice job of setting the dark tone and maintaining the atmosphere, despite some rather challenging scenes.

THE LAST TEMPTATION is available in mass market paperback (ISBN: 978-0-312-98631-5) from St. Martin's and on audio from Recorded Books (ISBN: 978-1-4025-4231-2)

Audiobook Thursday - SHIBUMI

First line: The screen flashed 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3...then the projector was switched off, and lights came up in recessed sconces along the walls of the private viewing room.

Nicholai Hel is a retired assassin living in the Basque region of France when Hannah Stern shows up on his doorstep looking for help after an international incident. Hannah Stern unknowingly leads the "Mother Company," commanded by an agent with a personal grudge, to Hel's door as well. Hel feels a personal obligation to help Stern, but will he be able to do so and protect himself from the evils pursuing him.

I reviewed SATORI here two weeks ago. When I finished reading Don Winslow's prequel to this crime fiction classic, I knew I had to backtrack and pick up SHIBUMI, Trevanian's original Hel novel. I wondered when I read SATORI if I would prefer it simply because it was the first I read, but I didn't find that to be so. Like SATORI, SHIBUMI is sensually stimulating. Trevanian connected with the beauty of nature and life in contrast to the ugliness and destruction of Hel's profession. That dichotomy in his character enhances his dimension.

Hel's relationships are another fascinating element of the novel. He lives with a concubine, whom he obviously loves, but there seems to be an unspoken rule that they cannot admit that emotion. And there is most definitely a distinction between the physical and the emotional in Hel's relationships.

Hel's relationship with his Basque friend, Le Cagot, is both revealing of character and humorous to the plot. It is most often Hel's contrast to those around him that most beautifully illustrates SHIBUMI and Trevanian's great respect of the Eastern cultures.

Like SATORI, the plot is rich and exciting, but for me it played second fiddle to the characters, the setting, the internal conflicts and the atmosphere. Something as simple as Hel kicking his car brings an unsuspecting luxuriance to the reading experience.

Today's readers may find some dated terminology and technology cause for chuckles, but the fundamental themes and the characterizations are timeless. Simply a beautiful novel.

I also took the opportunity to experience SHIBUMI on audio. It is read by Joe Barrett for Blackstone Audio. Barrett is one of my favorite narrators and one of the primary reasons is because, regardless of what he is narrating, he takes on THAT book. I never listen and hear the voice of a previous character. Barrett embodies the characters he is reading at that precise time. He did so with SHIBUMI as well. Whether it is a frightened young woman, an exotic mistress, a bombastic Basque or the world's greatest assassin, Barrett gives each a distinct voice. He appreciates the importance that the tone plays in this novel and keeps dramatic emphasis to a minimum. If anyone was able to exude shibumi through narration, Joe Barrett managed it.

SHIBUMI is available in trade paper (ISBN: 978-1-400-09803-1) from Broadway books and on audio from Blackstone Audio (ISBN: 978-0-786-17978-7).  

Audiobook Thursday - CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER

First line: "The Rutherford girl had been missing for eight days when Larry Ott returned home and found a monster waiting in his house."

Larry Ott has learned to get through life one day at a time. He's been ostracized by the people of his rural Mississippi town ever since Cindy Walker went missing after their "date" back in high school. People don't talk to Larry, they don't patronize his service station and they certainly don't associate with him. However, when another young girl goes missing, the local law enforcement is more than happy to start looking right at Larry as the prime suspect.

CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER is a book that hits me in one of the softest places in my heart: people's callous mistreatment of each other. Franklin handles the theme with kid gloves, making it all the more effective. Larry is a young man who has wanted nothing more from life than a friend, and this desire opens him up to the selfishness of others.

The crimes in this novel, the two missing girls, play a secondary role in the plot. Instead Franklin focuses on the interrelationships of the characters and how their environment influences those relationships. The richness of the characters, the dialogue, the setting development all contribute to the intensity of emotion Franklin is able to elicit from the reader.

Franklin's use of language is exquisite. The tone of the novel mimics the loneliness of Larry and the internal struggles of Silas, the town constable who is carrying around heavy secrets. Every so often, Franklin sneaks in some situational humor to contrast the "old boys" off-color and tasteless jokes.

Through these beautiful characters, Franklin reminds us of the ugliness humans can inflict on one another. CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER is a highly emotional, eloquent study of the human spirit and one we can all stand to read regularly. Franklin is a true master and CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER should be considered required reading.

Kevin Kenerly narrated this audiobook from Blackstone Audio. I would imagine that authors like Tom Franklin are hard to do justice, but I believe Kenerly did a fine job. He brought out the tone of both the rural southern community and the lonely, aching outsider. Kenerly also did a commendable job with the various dialects and genders. He maintained a leisurely pace befitting Southern Mississippi while emphasizing elements of intense emotion or fear. The production of this audiobook pays a fine tribute to the beautiful story being read.

CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER is available in print from William Morrow (ISBN: 978-0-060-59466-4) and on audio from Blackstone Audio (ISBN: 978-1-4417-6344-0)

Audiobook Thursday - THE MERCY SEAT

First line: "Jamal ran."

Journalist Joe Donovan's life and marriage began to corrode the day his son went missing in the department store. He's spending his days in a sad puddle of despair and alcohol when his former colleague Maria comes knocking on his door for help finding a missing journalist. Finding the journalist turns out to be the least of their problems.

Martyn Waites first book in the Joe Donovan series is darkly fantastic. He's created a cast of characters that are realistic, gripping and mult-dimensional. His child-prostituting villain is fittingly repulsive, but what is truly fascinating is the mob mentality that Waites also illustrates in this novel.

Joe Donovan is the obvious protagonist, but his young friend Jamal steals the show. Jamal's awkward mix of immaturity and maturity beyond his years, forced on him by his circumstances, create a fascinating specimen in this pint-sized hero. And his wit offers brief points of levity to an otherwise bleak tone.

Along the way, Donovan also befriends a pair of private eyes, Peta and Amar. Through the characters of THE MERCY SEAT, Waites has created a bit of a microcosm: each character distinctly singular with his/her own struggles and misfortunes, experiences and exploits. It is these characters that drive the plot and set the tone of the novel. While that tone is unarguably mournful and drab, the reader can't help but cling to the hope that justice will prevail.

Waites introduces Donovan's history because it plays an essential role in understanding the relationship he forms with Jamal. However, many questions are left unanswered leading the reader to believe that this part of Donovan's life will continue to be an issue in subsequent installments in the series.

One of the great joys of this audiobook is the fact that Martyn Waites narrates it himself. While there are many authors who should not narrate their own books, Waites has a history in acting and does an outstanding job reading his story to the audience. This is a rare opportunity to hear the author's interpretation in a quality performance. I especially appreciated his reading of the young, punk kid Jamal and the gay PI, Amar. Waites sense of humor comes through in those two characters. And on a silly, personal note, I simply love the sound of Waites' British dialect.

THE MERCY SEAT is available in the U.S. from Pegasus in hardcover (ISBN: 978-1-9336-4800-2) and from Pocket Books in trade paper (ISBN:978-1-4165-0222-7). The audio is published by Magna Story Sound (ISBN: 978-1-8465-2084-6).

Audiobook Thursday - DELIRIOUS

First Line: "Eddie rode the 28-19th Avenue bus to the bridge."

Charlie is on the way up in his career. He's young, single, a prestigious senior director at SoluCent. Charlie's electronics start-up was acquired by SoluCent and Charlie was hired to run the project team developing his integrated navigation system, InVision. But Charlie's perfect world starts to crumble when he experiences memory losses. He is beginning to commit strange, out-of-character acts and has no memory of them. Could Charlie be falling victim to his father and brother's fate? Could Charlie be experiencing the onset of schizophrenia? When Charlie discovers a hit list that he wrote, he knows he has to figure something out fast before he actually hurts someone.

DELIRIOUS is Daniel Palmer's debut thriller, and he pulled out all the stops on this one. The plot is fast-paced and full of unsuspecting twists. The use of technology is an added element of suspense as Palmer plays on many of the fears of today's society. It may be interesting to look back on this book in 25 years and see how people's reaction to the technology differs.

Palmer introduces Charlie and his dog Monte in Chapter One. Monte may seem like a superfluous character in the book if the reader is not paying attention for it. Palmer subtly builds Charlie's character through his relationship with Monte and the contrast of that relationship to Charlie's other relationships. Without showing any seams, Palmer creates a character the reader will find capable of heartless actions, yet a character the reader can still empathize with and cheer for.

Probably one of the most admirable qualities of DELIRIOUS is Palmer's treatment of mental illness. There's compassion and understanding on Palmer's part, but he doesn't sugar coat the way the society views mental illness. It is enlightening and realistic.

While I figured out the conclusion early, it did not effect my excitement at racing to the end to see just how Palmer would get to that conclusion. This is an extremely well-crafted story all the way around. And it's fun.

Courtesy of Brilliance Audio, I listened to DELIRIOUS on audiobook, narrated by Peter Berkrot. The pairing of Berkrot with DELIRIOUS was an excellent choice. Berkrot has an excellent sense of the tension and build-up then doesn't over-dramatize. The only voice that didn't sit exactly right with me was that of Rachel, the psychologist. She came across as unsure and insecure. That isn't an uncommon reaction for me with men voicing women, though, and it wasn't any kind of deterrent from me enjoying the audio. DELIRIOUS made a great audio for the gym. The intensity of the plot often increased the intensity of my workouts. The DELIRIOUS audiobook is approximately 12 hours.

DELIRIOUS is available in print from Kensington Books (ISBN: 978-0-7582-4664-6) and on audio from Brilliance Audio (ISBN: 978-1-61106-343-1).

Audiobook Thursday - BLUE GENES

First Line (dictated from audio): The day Richard’s death announcement appeared in the Manchester Evening Chronicle, I knew I couldn’t postpone clearing up the mess any longer.

Private investigator, Kate Brannigan, finds herself in a whirlwind of activity in Val McDermid's fifth book of the series. Brannigan is simultaneously investigating a pair of con artists trying to swindle newly bereaved individuals by selling them bogus funeral arrangements and an unknown group sabotaging the careers of a pair of Glaswegian musicians. As if those two cases weren't enough, Brannigan's best friend Alexis comes to her with a whopper of a problem. Her partner, Christine, is pregnant with their baby and the doctor who helped them conceive has been murdered. While Kate juggles these issues, her business partner informs her that he's found his soul mate and is moving to Australia.

BLUE GENES has literally everything a great crime fiction novel should: a complex plot with plenty of action, a colorful cast of characters, smart humor, challenging themes and subject matter, conflict and suspense. The plot summary may sound like a lot going on in one book, but McDermid weaves them together in a way that makes the story flow easily, even for listening on audiobook.

The title of the book originates in the element of the plot dealing with Kate's best friend Alexis and her partner, Christine. It isn't overly complex in regards to the science, but the concept leads to issues dealing with ethics, politics maybe even religion. As McDermid pokes and prods at possibilities, she challenges her readers to do more than solve a mystery in this book.

Kate Brannigan is a fantastic female protagonist. She experiences emotions, is witty and smart, but isn't leaping tall buildings in a single bound. She grows exasperated and frustrated, worries about the future, and doesn't let any of it prevent her from working toward her goals.

BLUE GENES, while not the first book in the series, is my first experience with Kate Brannigan. I didn't feel lost at any point in the book, as though I was missing necessary background information, so one can easily pick this book up without having read any others. But I am officially hooked on Kate and will be going back to read the previous books.

BLUE GENES is narrated by Laura Brattan who seems to grasp McDermid's humor as well as her characters and style. I felt Brattan did a superb job of bringing Kate's internal conflicts to the reader's attention as well as the external conflicts. Kate's multitude of emotional experiences shine through in Brattan's performance. This was a strong pairing of reader and book.

BLUE GENES is available in the United States on audiobook from Isis Audio (ISBN: 978-0-75310-899-4) and in trade paper print from Bloody Brits Press (ISBN: 978-1-93285-923-2).

Audiobook Thursday - BURY YOUR DEAD

First line: "Up the stairs they raced, taking them two at a time, trying to be as quiet as possible."

As Armand Gamache and Jean Guy Beauvoir recover from a devastating mishap, they each find themselves in an unplanned investigation. Gamache is pulled into a murder investigation in Quebec City while Beauvoir returns to Three Pines to retrace the steps of the hermit's murder and Olivier Brule's subsequent arrest. As these two story lines move forward, flashbacks slowly reveal the mishap that injured both inspectors, physically and psychologically.

Louise Penny continues to raise the stakes with each installment of the Three Pines/Chief Inspector Gamache series. In BURY YOUR DEAD she takes a closer look at the souls of her characters than she has in the previous novels. Series devotees know that Armand Gamache is a good man, a smart man, but in BURY YOUR DEAD he becomes a little more like the average reader. He suffers and makes mistakes and experiences regret. While this is a very important part of the book and it definitely enriches the plot, what truly hooked me in BURY YOUR DEAD, was Penny's development of Beauvoir.

Beauvoir has long intrigued me, but he mostly plays a sideline role in the previous novels. In BURY YOUR DEAD readers get to experience more of Beauvoir's thoughts, instincts and reactions. He is a rich, fascinating character. An outcast in his profession until Gamache recognized a spark of potential and recruited him for his team, Beauvoir is often abrasive and unlikeable. However, he is also smart and devoted to Gamache. Just when you're prepared to dislike him, he does something to win your heart. I enjoyed this extra time with Beauvoir and hope he plays a more substantial role in future books as well.

BURY YOUR DEAD is, like its predecessors, steeped in Penny's unique blend of humor and heartbreak. The characters are all unique, colorful and realistic. The reader can practically feel the heat from the bistro fireplace as he/she is transported to rural Quebec. And in BURY YOUR DEAD Penny shows a little more of the Anglophone versus Francophone conflict and communication barriers present in Quebec:

"'In the entire interview she spoke French and I spoke English. It was like something out of a cartoon. She must think I'm a moron. So far all I've done is grinned and nodded and I think I may have asked whether she's descended from the lower orders.'

'Why did you ask that?'

'I didn't mean to. I wanted to ask if she had access to the basement, but something went wrong,' he smiled ruefully. 'I think clarity might be important in a murder case.'

'I think you may be right. What did she say to your question?'

'She got quite upset and said that the night is a strawberry.'"

BURY YOUR DEAD is another splendid effort from Penny. I will, however, caution readers not to pick up BURY YOUR DEAD before having read THE BRUTAL TELLING. Knowing the plot of THE BRUTAL TELLING is important to understanding Beauvoir's plotline in BURY YOUR DEAD.

As with all of the Three Pines novels before it, BURY YOUR DEAD is narrated beautifully by Ralph Cosham. Cosham deftly maneuvers between the French-Canadian characters and the Anglo-Canadian characters. He is conscientious of Penny's humor and enriches it in his reading. He knows the characters and aids readers in entering not only their worlds, but their minds. And BURY YOUR DEAD is his greatest challenge to date as far as the mental and emotional elements are concerned. Cosham makes it sound so easy. In my opinion, this audiobook series truly rates as one of the greatest pairings of narrator and works.

BURY YOUR DEAD is available on unabridged audio from Macmillan Audio (ISBN: 978-1-427-21071-5) and in hardcover from Minotaur (ISBN: 978-0-312-37704-5).

Audiobook Thursday - NARROWS GATE

NARROWS GATE is Jim Fusilli’s most recent work, but it wasn’t written for print. Instead this epic novel went straight to audio.

NARROWS GATE is the story of three boys growing up in the midst of the Italian mob in mid-twentieth century New Jersey. Bill Marsala craved nothing more than his mother’s approval and attention. When he couldn’t have that he weaseled his way into the entertainment business as a singer, but at a heavy cost – an obligation to the family. And when that obligation mixed with his ever-increasing ego, disaster was inevitable. Sal Benno would never be mistaken for Eistein. His aspirations were low, but he was happy in his family’s grocery business and felt on top of the world when he was entrusted with some basic errands for the family. They never come without strings, though. And Leo Bell was the brains of the group. He wanted to make his way out of Narrows Gate, see the world, and live. But he also wanted to protect his best friend Sal from the dangers that were bound to find the clueless boy.

Fusilli doesn’t bring anything new to the classic mafia epic story. Instead the novelty comes in its delivery, strictly audio.

Joe Pantoliano and Joe Barrett were hand-picked for the project with Pantoliano performing the dialogue and Barrett the narrative. Their combined efforts resulted in a fantastic audiobook narration. Pantoliano brings the Jersey mafia to life with distinct dialect; each character had a sound as unique as his/her character. Sal’s bumbling personality and tendency towards cluelessness is emphasized in Pantoliano’s chosen sound for him. He adjusts for Marsala’s bi-polar tendencies. And many of the mob heavies have grisly and intimidating sounds. Barrett’s honey voice expertly set the tone of each scene. Combined, they bring out not only the World War II time period, but the geographic element as well. This performance element is what makes NARROWS GATE so unique; an extra layer of interpretation goes into audiobooks. The audience doesn’t have an option to interpret themselves by seeing the print version first. Instead, their interpretation is now influenced by the sound these two narrators have created. I found that sound to be highly effective.

The only drawback I would mention on this audio, however, is keeping track of all the characters and names. There are many characters to begin with, but as with most mob stories, the characters have multiple names due to nicknames and such. In addition there are a few names that sound very similar. So at times it may be confusing as to who is involved in what capacity.

Fans of Puzo or The Sopranos will likely appreciate this performance. It’s a long one at just over 17 and a half hours, but following Sal, Leo and Bill through their life-long experiences is quickly addictive and 17 hours is gone before you realize it.

A COLD DAY IN PARADISE - Steve Hamilton

First line: "I stood in a cheap motel room just inside the Soo city limits at 2:30 a.m., looking down at a man who had died that night, a man who had seemingly lost every ounce of blood from his body."

Having discovered Steve Hamilton through one of my favorite reads of 2010, THE LOCK ARTIST, I absolutely had to go back and read his backlist. Lucky for me, Brilliance Audio is putting it out on audiobooks now.

In Steve Hamilton’s first novel, he introduces readers to Alex McKnight, a former minor league baseball player, former Detroit cop. A devastating shoot-out that left his partner dead and Alex with a bullet in his chest drives McKnight back home to Paradise, Michigan where he runs a hunting camp and does a little private eye work on the side.

When McKnight’s friend calls him in the middle of the night for help, Alex finds himself in the thick of a murder investigation that seems to be connected to the man who killed his partner. The only problem with that theory is the fact that the murderer is locked up in a maximum security prison.

Readers, like me, who are late arriving at Hamilton’s McKnight series are in for a treat. There’s humor, there’s drama, there’s crime, and there’s love. Just the right amount of each. And every time you think you have it figured out, Hamilton will jerk the rug out from under you. I loved everything about this book, but because of the plot twists, I didn’t realize that until the very end.

Hamilton’s characters are rich and layered. McKnight’s internal demons add an extra dimension to an already complex detective novel. I may have been late to this party, but in the case of Hamilton’s Alex McKnight, I say it’s far better to be late than never to experience it at all. I look forward to catching up on this series.

Dan John Miller narrated A COLD DAY IN PARADISE with a tone that seemed to expertly compliment Hamilton's damaged character. McKnight's passion and pain came through in a natural sound. At points in the narrative when Hamilton had me completely snowed, I was chastising McKnight as though it was truly him speaking to me through the speakers of my audio player. This is an audio that easily pulls you into the world of Alex McKnight and Paradise, Michigan. One that dims the lights and turns the temperature way down without you even realizing it.

A COLD DAY IN PARADISE is available in audio from Brilliance (ISBN: 978-1441817426). It was originally published in print by Minotaur (ISBN: 978-0312192488) and is available in mass market paperback from St. Martin's Press (ISBN: 978-0312969196). A COLD DAY IN PARADISE was the recipient of the Edgar Award for Best First Novel.

Audiobook Thursday - SOUL PATCH

First Line: "Nothing is so sad as an empty amusement park."

Moe Prager is called into service by his old friend Larry McDonald when Larry gives Moe a cassette tape to listen to. The tape is an interrogation; an interrogation in which the parties were not aware they were being taped. The tape reveals a perp offering up information about a drug dealer who was murdered in the 70s; part of the "Soul Patch" of Brooklyn. Shortly thereafter Larry McDonald commits suicide and Moe Prager finds himself investigating how the events tie together and exactly what his friend was trying to tell him.

While all of the Moe Prager novels delve into Moe, personally, SOUL PATCH does so from the perspective of Moe's relationships with his friends Larry and Rico. The Moe Prager series is one that demands to be read in order. Provider the reader has done so, he/she understands the importance of Moe's friendships with these men and the power they had to hurt him emotionally. Without that background, I don't think SOUL PATCH could be fully realized by the reader.

Another of the strengths of this series is the acknowledgment and depiction of Moe's day-to-day life; the mundane as well as the exciting. Coleman doesn't paint Moe as constantly in action and saving the day. Instead he shows how the drabness of ordinary is beginning to wear and chip away at his marriage to Katy.

Carmella is introduced in SOUL PATCH. Her anger at the world fires her drive to overcome gender barriers, age barriers, race barriers. She's determined to make something of herself and nothing will stand in her way. In a lot of ways, she is Moe's opposite. He bumbles and stumbles through life, pretty much taking what life hands him. Carmella demands life give her what she wants.

SOUL PATCH isn't lacking in Coleman's sarcastic humor or his rich Brooklyn setting. Dialogue is crisp and witty. Another all-around winner in the Moe Prager series.

I listened to SOUL PATCH on audio, narrated again by Andy Caploe. This is the third of the Prager novels that I've listened to on audio and I've now come to associate Caploe's sound with Moe Prager. It was natural from the get-go. Caploe seems to bring the Brooklyn sound out as well as the gruffness of many of the characters that inhabit SOUL PATCH. He seems to exude a positive energy while at the same time conveying the dark tones of the plot. The one voice that tended to be a little odd to me was Carmella's. While Carmella is young for her profession, she's already been hardened by life and I didn't feel that came across as powerfully as the other characters do. But overall, I think Caploe is an excellent fit for this series and I enjoy his narration.

SOUL PATCH was originally published by Bleak House as a hardcover (ISBN: 978-1-932557-35-0) in 2007. It is now available in trade paper from Busted Flush Press (ISBN: 978-1-935415-09-1) or as an Audible exclusive audiobook.

Technorati Tags: Reed Farrel Coleman, audiobook, review, crime fiction

Audiobook Thursday: A QUIET BELIEF IN ANGELS

First line: "Sound of gunshots, like bones snapping."

Joseph Vaughan is a young boy growing up in rural Georgia. Joseph is smart and articulate and sets his sights on writing at a young age. There are rumblings of war in Europe as the continent heads toward World War II. But in Augusta Falls, Georgia, a different evil is brewing. Someone is murdering and mutilating young girls. Young Joseph and his small group of friends decide they are going to protect the girls of Augusta Falls and they form "The Guardians." Despite their well-intentioned efforts, the murders continue and by the time Joseph reaches adulthood, ten girls have been murdered. The mystery haunts Joseph and follows him like a black cloud raining down on his life. Joseph will never be free until he finds the monster who is responsible for all the destruction.

A QUIET BELIEF IN ANGELS is a stunning novel. The language is pure poetry, bringing characters and setting to life and plopping the reader right down in the middle of it all. R.J. Ellory creates a tone that mimics the slow country life of 1940s rural Georgia. Joseph Vaughan narrates his story, allowing the reader to feel every fear, every disappointment, every struggle, every joy. There is humor in the growing pains and awkwardness of a young boy. There is heartbreak from loss, rage at bias. A QUIET BELIEF IN ANGELS is simply not a book that can be passively experienced.

Aside from Joseph Vaughan, the rich array of characters add color and depth to the novel, each integral to the plot and to Joseph's life. Ellory breathes life into the characters through sharp dialogue, complex relationships, and through the use of a young, passionate boy's perspective.

The plot is an amazing sequence of events that for the most part, take place chronologically. But peppered in along the way are flashes to the future, foreshadowing the darkness still to come. I was certain I had outsmarted Ellory and figured out the puzzle before the conclusion. But it was Ellory who outsmarted me in the end. He even made me laugh in the midst of tragedy.

I love the characters and the plot of this novel. I love the eerie atmosphere and the slow pacing. But above all, I love the language:

"Rumor, hearsay, folklore. Whichever way it laid down to rest or came up for air, rumor had it that a white feather indicated the visitation of an angel.

Morning of Wednesday, July twelfth, 1939, I saw one; long and slender it was, unlike any kind of feather I'd seen before. It skirted the edge of the door as I opened it, almost as if it had waited patiently to enter, and the draft from the hallway carried it into my room. I picked it up, held it carefully, and then showed it to my mother. She said it was from a pillow. I thought about that for quite some time. Made sense that pillows were stuffed with angels' feathers. That's where dreams came from - the memories of angels seeping into your head while you slept."

When you combine all of these elements from the writing and partner them with Mark Bramhall narrating, you will think you are among angels. His interpretation of this work is spot on. His grizzly sound seems as though it was made specifically for this role. He doesn't miss a beat with the subtle humor, the array of dialects or the range of emotion. He doesn't try to adjust his voice to fit female roles, instead he identifies with the characters and their qualities. That creates a more life-like effect than a false, high pitch. Listening to this audiobook, I simply felt the story wrap itself around me, insulating me from the outside world. I was transported to Augusta Falls, to Joseph Vaughan's life and time. And the experience was one of the best audiobook experiences I've had. I can't recommend it highly enough.

A QUIET BELIEF IN ANGELS was recorded on audio by Blackstone Audio (ISBN: 978-1441722423), in hardcover from Overlook (ISBN: 978-1590202500) and in trade paper also from Overlook (ISBN: 978-1590203385).

Technorati Tags: R.J. Ellory, audiobook, crime fiction, review

Audiobook Thursday - CAST OF SHADOWS

FIRST LINE: "This wasn't grief Davis felt, staring at her so-still feet pointing at impossible angles to the tight synthetic weave of charcoal carpet."

Davis Moore is a fertility doctor with a thriving practice and a happy family. At work he helps infertile couples bear children through a cloning process. DNA from deceased individuals is used in the process and the children are closely monitored as they mature. When Moore's teenage daughter is brutally raped and murdered, her case is never solved. Her personal effects are returned to Moore and his wife, but the police accidentally left a vial in with her belongings. The vial contains the semen collected from the rape scene. In a fit of desperation, Moore decides to use the DNA from the semen with one of his patients, thereby creating a clone of his daughter's murderer.

CAST OF SHADOWS is the 2005 debut from Kevin Guilfoile and WOW did he give himself a challenge to follow-up and attempt to surpass. CAST OF SHADOWS is everything a great book should be: layered, complex, controversial, challenging, exciting. Guilfoile throws in the controversy of the cloning issue as well as touching on nature versus nurture. Ethics are a strong theme. Where do we draw the line with science? At whose expense is it acceptable to pursue justice? Even faith receives some face time in CAST OF SHADOWS. Guilfoile isn't trying to hand out answers in this thriller but rather pose some hypotheticals about the possible waves of effect. Or maybe a web of effect is a better analogy. The different forces all act independent of one another but still touch the others. It's almost like artwork by Escher; the actual cause is not clear. If any of the factors are removed will the outcome be different?

The characters are well drawn in this novel. The desperation of a grieving father, the determination of a religious fanatic, the conflict of an innocent child caught in the midst of everything. And woven into the complexity is a violent murderer running loose and creating chaos.

Another layer of CAST OF SHADOWS is the virtual world in which the characters have avatars, Shadow World. Shadow World functions as a parallel universe of the actual characters and the avatars, but it also functions as a complex analogy of the clones.

This is a heavy novel daring to explore controversial issues and themes. If you're looking for a warm and fuzzy tale, this would not be the book. If you're looking for one to challenge you as a reader, as a member of society, as a human being. CAST OF SHADOWS is right up your alley.

I listened to CAST OF SHADOWS on audio and it wasn't one of my favorites on audio. However, I'm quite certain I'm in a very small minority on this one, so I don't want to discourage people from trying this audio. CAST OF SHADOWS is narrated by Scott Brick who has a tendency to interpret far more dramatically than what I ever hear in my head. That dramatic, almost breathy, sound is distracting for me. If you are one of Brick's many, many fans, then I'm sure you will enjoy CAST OF SHADOWS on audio. Me, on the other hand, I'm going to read Guilfoile's next in print.

CAST OF SHADOWS is available from Alfred A. Knopf in hardcover (ISBN: 978-1-400-0430-88), from Vintage in trade paper (ISBN 978-1-400-0782-64), from Books on Tape in audio (ISBN 978-1-415-9163-46).

Technorati Tags: Audiobook Thursday, audiobook review, Kevin Guilfoile

Audiobook Thursday - BOULEVARD

FIRST LINE: "Detective Hayden Glass of the Los Angeles Police Department's Robbery-Homicide Division drove his old Hollywood beat, crossing Fairfax, heading east on Sunset Boulevard."

Hayden Glass is a police detective and a sex addict. Glass hides his addiction from his colleagues; the only problem is he has to patrol the streets most detrimental to his sobriety. Hayden attends SAA meetings, but when he is asked to find a new meeting because the members are not comfortable with his occupation, he sinks back into his destructive behaviors. Meanwhile, Hayden is in the midst of several murder investigations when he realizes a connection between the investigations, a connection no one would know but him because HE and his sex addition are the connection. Should he admit his sex addiction and possibly save further victims but destroy his career, or should he stay quiet and hunt the killer who is taunting him?

You can read BOULEVARD in bright daylight with all the lights in your house on and still feel enveloped by the darkness of this novel. In his debut, Stephen Jay Schwartz sets the scene as dark, gritty and haunting. He exposes his protagonist, leaving him naked to the scrutiny of the reader. Hayden is far from a hero and his personal struggles are so articulately detailed that as the reader it's difficult not to own them, not to experience his conflict.

The plot of BOULEVARD is a ride befitting the haunting setting. It's a blind-folded ride through the streets of Los Angeles in a car with no breaks. You can't see what's coming at you but you experience the rush of the ride as it's happening.

Schwartz does an outstanding job of developing place and plot. His characters are dimensional and human. If there was any element that would have improved this debut, it may have been eliminating a couple of characters who play less significant roles. I think that could have tightened up the plot a bit, but it's far from significant and didn't take away from the enjoyment of the novel.

I listened to BOULEVARD on audio from Blackstone Audio narrated by Ray Porter. The combination of book and narrator was exceptional. One of Porter's strengths is taking on the role he is reading, chameleon-like. While I've enjoyed him reading other crime novels, they don't impede my ability to envision him as Hayden Glass. He exuded Hayden's anger and frustration. I think Porter also accentuated the darkness of the novel's tone. Schwartz and Porter brought Hayden Glass and his Los Angeles to life.

BOULEVARD is available in hardcover (ISBN: 978-0-7653-2294-4) and trade paper (ISBN: 978-0-7653-2661-4) from Forge Books and on audio from Blackstone Audio (ISBN: 978-1-4332-6272-2).

Technorati Tags: Audiobook Thursday, Stephen Jay Schwartz, crime friction, review

Audiobook Thursday - SOLOMON VS LORD

FIRST LINE: "The man in the holding cell loosened his tie, tossed his rumpled suit coat into a corner, and stretched out on the hard plastic bench.

SOLOMON VS LORD starts out with Steve Solomon and Victoria Lord on opposing sides of the courtroom. Solomon is a seasoned defense attorney whose clients tend to be those who pay in trade as opposed to cash. Solomon knows all the rules and exactly how to manipulate  Victoria Lord is a young, idealistic prosecutor who plays by the rules, does everything by the book. However, circumstances find Lord dismissed from the prosecutor's office just after her friend Katrina Barksdale is accused of murdering her wealthy husband...during sex. Against her will, Lord teams up with Solomon to defend Barksdale and all hell breaks loose in the Florida legal system.

Sound like you've heard this plot before? I guarantee that if you haven't read this book you haven't experienced this plot before. Seems like about every third book I've read this year, I've said, "where have I been?" Good thing I'm due to say it again because Paul Levine's SOLOMON VS LORD is fantastic! I can't believe it took me this long to discover it, but I'm glad that I now have the good fortune to look forward to the rest of this series.

Back to the plot! What may seem like a familiar skeleton is augmented with sharp wit, complex characters, pitch-perfect dialogue and sheer fun. Solomon is raising his nephew Bobby who happens to be borderline autistic. Solomon rescued Bobby from his mother, Solomon's sister; while he may not have the most conventional child-rearing skills, Solomon deeply loves his nephew and is fighting the child welfare system to be able to maintain custody. Victoria, not Vicky, is engaged to a wealthy avocado farmer and real estate developer. The relationships between these four, as well as the colorful supporting cast make for subplots that compliment the main plot and enrich the overall novel. Levine expertly blends the serious with the humorous so that the book is never absurdly humorous or depressingly serious. And who can resist chapter titles like "Hoochie-Coochie Man"?

I listened to SOLOMON VS LORD on audiobook from Blackstone Audio narrated by Christopher Lane. It's hard for me to come up with much besides he did a magnificent job. There were times I thought I'd have to pull over to the side of the road while driving because Levine's humor combined with Lane's delivery of it was rip-roaring funny. And there were other times when I felt a literal pull in my chest from the emotional reaction to the scene. And my exercise sessions always ended up being 10-15 minutes longer than planned because I just needed to listen a leeettle bit longer. He was able to give unique life to every character from Solomon and Lord to Bobby to Solomon's parolee-assistant CeCe to Cadillac Johnson, Solomon's elderly black friend. No character, especially female characters, had an annoyingly awkward sound and there was never any over-dramatization. Lane is a great narrator and I think he was an excellent match for this novel.

Now, I'm looking forward to THE DEEP BLUE ALIBI, the second book in this wonderfully entertaining legal series. SOLOMON VS LORD is available in mass market paperback from Bantam (ISBN: 978-0-44-024-2734); it is available from Audible for audio download and is available from Blackstone Audio on CD or MP3. 

Technorati Tags: Paul Levine, Audiobook Review

A Trio of Audios

Some audios have been getting away from me and in an effort to acknowledge them, I'm going to do three mini-reviews today.

The first is THE MYSTIC ARTS OF ERASING ALL SIGNS OF DEATH by Charlie Huston. I want to link you back to Craig Johnson's review of this book that he wrote for Detectives Around the World week. My reaction is pretty much "everything Craig said and then some."

FIRST LINE: "I'm not sure where one should expect to find the bereaved daughter of a wealthy Malibu suicide in need of a trauma cleaner long after midnight, but safe to say a trucker motel down the 405 industrial corridor in Carson was not on my list of likely locales."

Huston's tale of a former school teacher recovering from a trauma, taking a job as a crime scene cleaner is unique, funny, moving. I think I experienced every range of emotion possibly while listening to this audiobook. The printed book handles dialogue a little differently, so if you have/had trouble reading this book because of that I'd highly recommend checking out the audiobook. Narrated by Paul Michael Garcia, the genius of Huston's dialogue shines through. And he has some rather challenging areas of dialogue for a narrator since Huston doesn't use much in the way of dialogue tags.

The novel is gritty and Huston isn't afraid to include profanity. So if you're sensitive to that, be forewarned. However, his use of profanity isn't gratuitous. He develops characters and mood and tone. There's a definite reason it's there and it serves its purpose well.

Garcia does an outstanding job as the narrator. He expresses the appropriate level of drama, never going overboard for the given situation. He nails the sarcasm and he's flat when the situation calls for it. The pairing of Garcia with this novel enhanced my experience with the book.

I owe thanks to Michael over at Lazy Thoughts from a Boomer for this audio. It's available from Blackstone Audio (ISBN: 978-1-4332-5753-7) or in print from Ballantine Books: hardcover (ISBN: 978-0-3455-0111-0); trade paper (ISBN: 978-0-3455-0112-7).


Next up I have BLACK ICE by Michael Connelly.

FIRST LINE: "The smoke carried up from the Cahuenga Pass and flattened beneath a layer of cool crossing air."

THE BLACK ICE  is the second book in the Harry Bosch series. Harry's maverick ways have earned him a position in the very undesirable Hollywood Division. When Robbery-Homicide swoops in and takes a case that should have been his call, Harry wheedles his way into the fold and begins investigating on his own. This, of course, does not sit well with the powers that be, so his supervisor dumps a load of unsolved cases in Harry's lap and instructs him to close as many as possible by year-end, a week away. When one of the unsolved cases begins pointing to the case Harry was boxed out of, he uses it as an excuse to head for Mexico and pursue both cases.

The plot is excellent. I commented to a friend while I was listening to the audio that somehow I keep reading a book either simultaneously or right after that somehow echos what Connelly does in his plot I'm reading at that time. I think it's very much a reflection on how he's influenced the genre. I appreciate the way Bosch grows with each book, the way he's affected by the events he experiences. Bosch is no superman; he has to deal physically and emotionally with his exploits.

While I thoroughly enjoyed this Bosch caper, I didn't thorough enjoy the audiobook. The narrator on this one is Dick Hill who also narrates the Jack Reacher series. The only probably is that he read Harry Bosch exactly the same way he read Jack Reacher. That flat tone and mood work for Reacher; Bosch is a far more dimensional character. While I don't think Bosch shows a lot of varying emotion at this point in the series, I think he feels it, experiences it and that didn't come across at all. I read THE BLACK ECHO, the first Harry Bosch, in print and felt my experience was better that way for this series.

THE BLACK ICE is available on audio from Brilliance (ISBN: 978-1-5933-5259-2), in print from Little Brown (ISBN: 978-0-3161-5382-9).

And finally today I have DOUBLE PLAY by Robert B. Parker.

FIRST LINE: "Joseph Burke got it on Guadalcanal, at Bloody Ridge, five .25 caliber slugs from a Jap light machine gun, stitched across him in a neatly punctuated line."

When Joseph Burke returns home wounded physically from the war, his wife inflicts emotional wounds by having left him for another man. Trying to re-enter his life, he attempts to take up boxing. Not really possessing the skill to box professionally, Burke takes a job as a body guard to protect a rich man's daughter. Burke falls for the daughter but is let go after a show of excessive force against a very powerful family. That is when Burke finds his job with the Brooklyn Dodgers protecting Jackie Robinson from the racial violence and threats during his rookie season.

This was a fun audiobook. Burke and Robinson's dialogue exchanges throughout the book are both dryly humerus and moving. The events had a tendency to jar me, and while I tell myself it is because I'm listening to a story set half a century ago, I'd like to hope they would have affected me the same way then. While it's a fictionalized story, the hate still existed and I think Parker did an outstanding job of bringing that through and contrasting it sharply with the loving relationship these two men developed.

DOUBLE PLAY does not deviate from Parker's style of writing. This has a tendency to affect the audiobook versions, however. His dialogue is sharp and intelligent and riddled with dialogue tags. When we read the printed page, we often just gloss over those. Audiobook narrators, however, do not. And so you're constantly reminded of the "he said," "she said," "Burke said," etc. all over the dialogue.

DOUBLE PLAY is narrated by Robert Forster, who I thought did an outstanding job of bringing to life Joseph Burke. He illustrates Burke's emotional scars and subtly lets his emotions peak through the tough-guy image. The narrator is great for this book, the book isn't so great for the audio.

DOUBLE PLAY is available on audio from Phoenix Audio (ISBN: 978-1-5977-7014-9) and in print from Berkley (ISBN: 978-0-4251-9963-3).


Technorati Tags: Audiobook Thursday, Charlie Huston, Michael Connelly, Robert B. Parker

Audiobook Thursday: STARVATION LAKE

FIRST LINE: The cast-iron railing wobbled in his hand as he climbed the porch steps.

Gus Carpenter returned home to Starvation Lake when his plans for a grand career in journalism were snuffed out. Gus made some ethically questionable decisions writing an investigative story for the Detroit Times. He was writing that story about a car manufacturer with deep pockets. The car manufacturer and its lawyers are coming after Gus for the name of his source. The Detroit Times left Gus to fend for himself, so he headed home to Starvation Lake and a job with their local paper. All's quiet in Starvation until Gus receives a call one night to head out to the city's namesake. The sheriff and his deputy are pulling something from the frozen lake. It looks like maybe it's part of a snowmobile, a yellow snowmobile, just like the one Gus's hockey coach was driving when he fell into Walleye Lake and drowned ten years ago. But how could Coach Blackburn's snowmobile surface in an entirely different lake? That's where the questions start; they grow more mysterious when the snowmobile is confirmed to be Blackburn's and there's reason to believe he was murdered, not drowned.

STARVATION LAKE is Bryan Gruley's debut novel and boy did Gruley ever make a splash on the first go round. The small town of Starvation Lake is populated with a cast of characters, all sharing their small-town secrets and struggling for their identities. Gruley reminds us that small town doesn't guarantee safety, and sometimes the close knit community makes the horror that much worse.

Gruley weaves his own love and knowledge of hockey into the plot. Much the way football defines the small towns of Texas, hockey defines the small towns of Northern Michigan. That definition comes alive through Gus and his life-long friends. Gruley does such a fine job of developing the plot and characters that the reader need not have any love or knowledge of the sport to feel its effects on the people of the community, to feel its effects on the team of boys whose identities are directly linked to the game.

STARVATION LAKE is a book that slowly, silently sneaks into your brain and your soul. A book you find yourself thinking about even when you're not reading it. The characters are ones you remind yourself aren't in the directory of your cell phone. Even though I know it's fiction, I can't wait to visit Gus and Soupy and Starvation Lake again.

The audiobook of STARVATION LAKE is narrated beautifully by Rich Orlow. This is a book that full of passion and emotion but it's all very subtle. Most of what happens emotionally is internal to the characters. Orlow does an exquisite job of relating Gruley's passion without making the listener feel as though they are listening to a daytime drama. And the plot is haunting, but the haunting effect sneaks up on you. You realize its effects after you've put the book down when you can't get it out of your head. I think Orlow strengthens that effect. Definitely an outstanding audiobook.

STARVATION LAKE is available from Touchstone in trade paper (ISBN: 978-1-416-56362-4) and from Recorded Books on audio (ISBN: 978-1-4407-0340-9).

Technorati Tags: Audiobook Thursday, Brian Gruley, review, crime fiction