Bob

The intrigue almost compensated for the unpleasant narration

Revisado: 05-17-24

The best thing about this story is the unusual character Assad, the true hero of the story. The faux Danish accent used by the narrator is a distraction. It makes the characters sound like numbskulls.

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Entertaining and cleverly designed tale

Revisado: 11-20-23

Chamberlain weaves a historic and a contemporary story of two women whose lives intersect in surprising ways. A compelling listen with an excellent narrator.

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I miss narrator Richard Ferrone

Revisado: 11-03-23

And Eric Conger. Both brought personality to Sandford’s novels, particularly in the humor. The new narrator is professional but pedestrian. The story suffers as a result.

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When IQ lost his mojo

Revisado: 04-20-20

What a disappointment! Joe Ide's creation of IQ was brilliant. The series was kicked off in a masterful first book,. I was hooked by the unique character of the protagonist, the setting, the supporting cast, the dashes of humor. Ide drew on his growing up in a similar L.A. neighborhood to bring this world to life. (Ide gave a wonderful talk at last year's National Book Festival, reflecting on his past in a most entertaining and memorable way.)
The violence and outsized mayhem had been increasing in the last two books, but I still looked forward to Hi Five with enthusiasm.
This story is a mess. The multiple alter-egos of one character dominate the plot and this plot device falls flat, strains belief and becomes boring - the worst sin of all for the reader/listener. Bad guys abound, they all curse loud and long, and automatic weapons blam-blam-blam away. It becomes a sludgy yawn. IQ is morose, Dodson is an afterthought. Once an unlikely duo that intrigued the listener, they remain stuck in the same cycle of mistrust and brood over the same old issues.
The new narrator is a mild disappointment - he's ok but not nearly as good as the original.
I am sorry to see this series apparently run out of gas. Simply ramping up the violence and tossing IQ into increasingly improbable, convoluted and tiresome jams won't save it. Joe Ide needs to use some imaginative magic to evolve this story and keep it compelling, or maybe it's time to move on to a new project.

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Slow to unfold, richly rewarding

Revisado: 11-17-19

Peter Grainger's fiction does not immediately dazzle. I was reminded of this when starting 'Songbird' while on a long drive with a friend. He and his wife love to listen to books by authors like John Sandford and Jo Nesbo. I said, 'well let me introduce you to a writer you are going to love.' A half an hour later, I switched it off. The story got off to such a slow start, something I was painfully aware of as we waited for something, anything, to justify all my praise. My friend was kind but obviously not itching to download the book.
Once I returned to the story on my own, it gained steam as all the King'sLake/DC Smith stories do, until I was savoring every moment and hoping it would never end. But the experience with my friend had reminded me of my slightly lukewarm reaction to the first DC Smith book. Once "Songbird' had concluded, I went back and re-listened to 'An Accidental Death'. Yes, the power and momentum of that story was also slow to gather force. But what a delight to be introduced again to all the series' characters, and to listen to an especially delicious series of meetings of Smith and the supercilious DCI Allan. Such rich humor, wonderful characters - really brilliant stuff. There are good plots in Graingers' books, but its his mastery of characters that makes them truly superior and so rewarding. And Gildart Jackson is the perfect narrator.

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They Always Underestimate DC Smith

Revisado: 07-10-18

This series and its protagonist DC David Smith have steadily and surely grown on me through the first three books. Intelligent, witty, unique and quietly compelling. The basic stories are fine but what is winning about the series are the finely drawn characters, the writing craft and the superb narration by Gildart Jackson. DC Smith is becoming a richer character with each book, his humor more prominent, his flashes of temper and his world weariness giving him greater texture. Great interplay between characters. It is a delight to see the arrogant and presumptious cut down by this older man, the 'vacuum salesman' who they always underestimate. The understated send-up of the bumptious Chief Inspector Allen is a delight.

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A Poky Tale and Cranky Characters

Revisado: 02-25-18

I have been a faithful reader/listener of the Peter Diamond series and this is one that only an dedicated fan might stick with. The story unfolds at a glacially s-l-o-w pace, and, perhaps as a result, the brutishly dull rendering of the venerable chief inspector by narrator Crossley got on my nerves (his voicing of most other characters was more effective). After several hours, Lovesey began to stitch together a reasonably interesting story. But I fear that many listeners won't stick with it long enough to get there.

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A Dull Pass Through Well-Plowed Ground

Revisado: 11-26-17

I stuck with this audiobook for more than seven hours before giving up, frustrated and bored with the lack of any interesting development in either plot or character. Lots of foreboding language (and overly dramatic phrasing and tone from the narrator) but nothing comes of it. We have our surly and inept main character 'haunted by unspeakable things from his past' (oh that again?), that the author is waiting far too long to begin to reveal. Lots of gnashing of teeth, and anguish and testiness in a formulaic plod through a 'killer on the loose' saga that fails to enage.

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Oh my Kep-e-ten, my Captain

Revisado: 09-07-17

At first I was taken in by the beauty of the writing but unsure of the story and characters. Will this make a good listen, as opposed to a good read? After a slow start the arc of the story builds nicely, pulling the listener along, and you simply fall in love with the Captain and especially the 10 year old white girl wrested from the Kiowa. This is a marvelous creation and Grover Gardner's narration a pure delight. His rendering of the girl Johannah and her bond with Captain Kidd is priceless.

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Connelly's Best Character Yet

Revisado: 09-07-17

The character of Renee Ballard has breathed new life into Michael Connelly's fictional exploration of crime and justice in L.A. I found the Bosch novels uneven. Micky Haller was a fresh and fun creation, if a bit light. But Ballard is complex and compelling and the author seems inspired as he draws us into her world. Great twists and turns. Like Bosch she runs against the grain but she faces greater obstacles in the male-dominated, rule-bound world of L.A. policing. Her many flaws and issues - she is rough-edged, unyielding, driven and a pain in the ass - are as part of the story as are Bosch's in his. But oh so compelling. I thought that Moennig's straight forward, unadorned narration suited the character and story very well. I can't wait for the next one - a feeling I rarely held after a Bosch story.

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