OYENTE

David Edwards

  • 6
  • opiniones
  • 30
  • votos útiles
  • 6
  • calificaciones

Christmas Stocking-Stuffer Gift Goes Rogue!

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 12-22-19

I bought the audio book Murder on Air Force One for my wife who loves the Kate Dawson mystery/thrillers as a stocking stuffer for Christmas. I was curious, and I thought that I would just listen to the first few pages. Well, beautiful blonde Megan Kendrick is killed during an apparent sexual tryst with the First Man, and her body is later discovered by secret service agents in the rear restroom of Air Force One. That was all I needed! Suddenly, I found myself listening to the entire book, like a rogue secret service agent gathering evidence and clues like homicide-detective Dawson. The audio book was great, with a fast-paced plot, absorbing characters, and plenty of twists and turns worthy of a top-notch thriller. I now know why my wife loves Flynn's novels, and just because they feature a woman in the lead, both men and women can enjoy them. I plan to listen to other audio books in her collection. I just need to solve how I'm going to tape this audio book back up so it looks brand new. Please don't tell my wife what I did.

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esto le resultó útil a 13 personas

Incredible Imagery! Amazing Metaphors!

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 12-16-19

I was looking for a short story collection to listen to on audio books because my job is such that I make a lot of stops throughout the day. Short stories, by their very nature, are short, and I didn’t want to get sucked into a novel where I could potentially loose track of where I was in the story. I found John Flynn’s Visions in Shadow & Light, a collection of fantasy, science fiction and mystery stories. Well, by the time I had finished the first tale, “Whom Gods Destroy,” a story about a robot who caretakes the last library on earth after a natural holocaust had wiped out all human life, I was totally hooked on Flynn’s storytelling. Honestly, I fell in love with his incredible imagery and amazing use of metaphors. They both made me feel as if I'd stepped into the story, and was seeing things through the robot’s point of view. Rupert (the robot) was totally captivating as a character who had become human after reading the great works of literature over a 3000-year time frame. Tolstoy, Melville, Fitzgerald—they were all there, and had totally transformed the robot into a living and breathing figure, perhaps more human than human. I guess you could say that I was totally captivated by Flynn’s excellent writing style – which you don’t really see in modern novels today. Rupert’s story also reminded me of Isaac Asimov’s great robot stories, and made me feel a bit nostalgic for the tales Analog and Fantasy & SF magazines used to publish in the golden era of science fiction. I then listened to the next tale, one about the Jovians who live in the atmosphere of Jupiter, and regarded it with that sense of awe and wonder when you’ve taken that next journey into imagination. Story after story kept me maintained my attention as I made the rounds for work. Some were whimsical; others horrifying, and still others insightful about the human condition. All demonstrated the remarkable writing skill of a master story-teller. This is an audio book I will keep, and return to often, like a beloved child.

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esto le resultó útil a 4 personas

Fantastic Story, Once Past Disturbing Prologue!

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 11-21-19

Earlier this month, my reading group decided to read John Flynn's Architects of Armageddon. I had my reservations after listening to the highly detailed and disturbing murder-suicide in the first few pages. (Note: I had similar reservations about Alice Sebold's The Lonely Bones.) A friend of mine in the group encouraged me to keep listening. I'm so glad that I did. The mystery-thriller turned out to be an excellent book. The characters were really outstanding, with Kate Dawson as the Homicide Detective exploring the activities of a twisted religious cult quite inspired. Rather than make her a traditional, stalwart hero, Author Flynn introduces a broken woman who can barely function without a drink; compound her obvious character flaws with a person who is suffering with PTSD, and she appears to be on a collision course with oblivion. Dawson is actually redeemed by her actions, and emerges from her ordeal at the end of the novel as a flawed but still worthy hero. The plot is well-written and extremely well-detailed as the religious fanatics pursue their murderous actions; naturally, they think they are right, and do not hesitate to destroy anyone in their way. The best villains - I contend - are always those who think they are right and their actions are justified. I finished listening to the book the morning of our discussion in the evening, and a number of group members pointed things out I missed. Overall, I would say this is one of my favorite books now, despite my initial misgivings. The prologue to the book is disquieting, but sets in motion an excellent end-of-the-world thriller that I'm probably going to listen to again.

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esto le resultó útil a 2 personas

Great Characters! Totally Believable!

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 10-27-19

The Jovian Dilemma is the third of Flynn's books that I've listened to, and whether the genre is mystery or science fiction, this author has a very real talent for creating great characters. I loved the Kate Dawson books because Kate and her fellow characters were so well written; even the Antagonists in those stories are more than just bad guys doing bad things; they are as richly textured and totally believable as the rest. I will admit that, when I first started listening to the audio book, I didn't like Ryan, the protagonist. He was vain, self-serving, self-important and a Republican who had served the Senate under somewhat dubious circumstances. Men like Ryan have only one interest, and that's lining their pockets with money and power. However, the events of the story changed him, and he emerged much to my surprise as the good guy. His girlfriend "France" similarly surprised me. She seemed like such a light-weight, at first. A bimbo who's sole purpose in the story was to provide sex, and yet she also changed. When one of the characters is killed, she reacts in a way to his death that was not at all on my radar. Each of the characters, including the Jovian Cloud Dancer, surprised me, and while their actions were consistent with the story, I began to see them as very real figures, totally believable on the page. Flynn has a very real talent of creating great characters who, in turn, make his stories seem very real, genuine. I like that, and look forward to listening to more audio books from him in the future.

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esto le resultó útil a 4 personas

Shhhh! Don't Reveal the Solution to this Mystery!

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 09-12-19

Shhhh! I still don't believe it! I just got through listening to the end of this audio book, and I can't believe the answer, but I promise I won't reveal to the solution to this great mystery! This review will not include any spoilers. Let me say, I love mysteries, particularly ones like this that keep me guessing until the final page. The clues were all there, right in front of me. I should have put them altogether, but I didn't. The author snookered me, but in a really brilliant way. The characters were first rate; the setting was extraordinary, like a great travelogue. The book starts off with a startling murder, and with each development of the plot, lures you in hook, line and sinker. I plan to listen to the audio book again tonight. I'm sure I missed a key detail the first time I listened to it, and maybe this time, I'll be shaking my head when the solution is finally revealed. Do your friends a favor: Don't breathe a word about this book, particularly the ending. Just tell me that it's the best damned mystery ever! They'll thank you later.

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esto le resultó útil a 3 personas

I Love this Audio Book!

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 08-27-19

I absolutely love Flynn's Kate Dawson thrillers. With every book, starting as far away back as Intimate Bondage (in 2014), the series just keeps getting better and better. The characters are amazing, and I love how they seem to have lives of their own beyond the scope of each story. They're like family, and you look forward to learning about them. Minor characters who were introduced in previous books take center stage in Merchants of Death and seem to carry the plot forward. Of course, there's no denying that Kate is the star of the show; she undergoes a lot of changes, too, not the least of which is a deepening of her relationship with Colonel Shears but also fending off a rival detective who wants to replace her. Also, if you are a fan of Lenny's - the story's comic relief - you are going to be totally surprised where the plot takes him. Keep up the good work, John. You are truly an amazing author.

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esto le resultó útil a 4 personas

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