OYENTE

Tracey

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The Hope That Kills Audiolibro Por Ed James arte de portada

Riveting whodunnit set in UK

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

Revisado: 09-08-16

Protagonist is divorced 42-year DI with a past that continues to haunt him and affect his past relationships (with estranged ex-wife, widowed father) and police colleagues. He checks the system daily to see if the 10 year old case of his kidnapped 8-year old daughter, Chloe, has developed any leads, a case his retired policeman father is also doggedly pursuing.
Despite his past, Fenchurch is a not morose, but an intriguing character, who listens to Morrissey, attends football matches with his father and chastises his colleagues for not shielding a victim from onlookers at the first crime scene. He is sympathetic without dipping into pathos.
I couldn't quite give it 5 stars, as I quickly tired of the refrain "same as it ever was" (the author must love Talking Heads) and the ending, which I found a bit far-fetched.
Michael Page, a seasoned narrator, is a favorite of mine and does not disappoint here. He handles a variety of accents, from the posh private school to the Scottish brogue aptly and doesn't sound like a cartoon character when he voices the female characters, as so many male narrators do.

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esto le resultó útil a 5 personas

wonderful start to new Armstrong series

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

Revisado: 05-08-16

A departure from Kelley Armstrong's recent string of YA paranormal romances (and earlier paranormal series, Otherworld and Gainesville), this new entry into what I hope will be a LONG series harkens back to the Armstrong's earlier Nadia Stafford books. Whether fantasy, mystery, thriller or YA, there are signatures of any Armstrong novels -- strong protagonists (especially the women), at least one trying relationship (either romantic, familial or platonic) and layered plots. I admit, the twists at the end weren't 100% shocking to me, but I have read most of what Armstrong has written (except for the YA fare), but I still had time putting the "book" down and am happy I started this on the weekend, otherwise I would have had a difficult day at work. Although the beginning was slow-building, the development of the various characters and the core mystery kept me saying "one more chapter." My one grouse is the bit about feral chickens in Northern Canada -- unless there is some sort of super breed of chicken or special hibernating chicken or wonderful chicken cave system in the City of the Lost, it just couldn't happen outside of a fantasy novel. Feral chickens in Asian jungles (where the original jungle fowl was domesticated) or the streets of Miami, yes. Northern Canada or Alaska, no. But, it was a minor complaint, easily ignored. I highly recommend!

Therese Plummer narrated the various male and female characters beautifully.

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esto le resultó útil a 21 personas

Must read for all Harrison fans!!!

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

Revisado: 08-11-15

Typically, I shun novellas. I usually read books of a minimum hours length, because I want to invest time in characters and their story. The minute I saw Kim Harrison had a new entry into a brand new world, I popped the treasure into my cart. This is comprised of a novella, "Sideswiped", plus the first 30 minutes of a full-size book in the series, "The Drafter", hitting the stores (and Audible) 1Sep15. Although not the same complexity as her Hollows series, I really like the premise behind this new series, and Perri Reed promises to be heroine I will enjoy following. I hope Harrison will bring back others who have appeared in this novella, especially Silas. Now, I just have to wait impatiently until 1Sep15.

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esto le resultó útil a 6 personas

Gripping German police procedural

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
3 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 01-17-15

This is a fast paced police procedural with an intricate plot, with ties going back to WWII. I did find myself rewinding frequently toward the end to keep the developments straight, so having the kindle version as well would have been handy. I shall definitely be listening to more Neuhaus novels.

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esto le resultó útil a 16 personas

May amuse frequent travelers

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

Revisado: 12-12-14


I had quite high hopes with this book, having once being a weekly airline traveler for my job. Although I did not go to many trade fairs, I could definitely relate to many aspects described in this book, particularly the sometimes comforting, sometimes strangely creepy "sameness" of various hotel chains. More than once in my travels I went to the room number I was in the evening before, since the new hotel had the same plants, wallpaper, carpet and even empty chair by the elevator, which can lull the tired, distracted traveler to following an unthinking route to same number he/she had been in the previous 3 nights. I derived some amusement to the observations noted by the protagonist, and chuckled at the an occasion description (one character is said to have a "vestigial crease" in his trousers.) But, what is amusing for a few paragraphs or chapters can quickly become tedious. I found myself frequently stopping the book to read something else in my library and coming back to "The Way Inn", hoping for the "scary bits" to finally appear. Unfortunately, for me, there were no scary or thrilling parts. Still, this book had some clever writing. I might recommend this to frequent travelers who can think "yes, I have noticed that." But for anyone searching for a suspenseful book, I would advise a pass on this work.

The narrator was a perfect fit for the characters, especially the protagonist.

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esto le resultó útil a 7 personas

Maverick cop exiled to Wales

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

Revisado: 12-05-14

This is the 3rd in the DS Glyn Capaldi detective series and the first book by Ewart Hutton to appear on Audible. Always on the lookout for new detective series, especially any set in the UK, I decided to listen to this book despite not having read "Good People" or "Dead People."

Although I might have better understood some of the character dynamics and allusions to prior cases by starting from Book 1 in the series, I found I had no problem understanding and enjoying the story. Capaldi is a half-Italian, half-Welsh maverick detective pursuing a case (while on sick leave) which his superiors consider only a tragic accident. The Welsh setting is no bucolic village, but a town filled with urban crime and intriguing characters.
The complicated plot, combined with the gritty descriptions, the well-developed characters and dark humor make this a wonderful read. I look forward to finding more of Ewart Hutton's work on Audible in the near future.

Arwel, the narrator, delivered a wonderful performance. I search on his name (hoping to find more books by read by him) and was surprised to find this is the only performance of his on Audible. I hope to listen to MANY more books performed by Arwel in the future!

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esto le resultó útil a 4 personas

The Guinea Pig Did It!!

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

Revisado: 08-08-14

If you are new to the world of Bernie Little (Hawaiian-shirt wearing Arizona P.I.) and his intrepid partner, K-9 flunkee (there was a cat involved, enough said) Chet (the Jet), I urge you to give this book a try. Although it is the 7th of the series (and Chet often refers to past cases in his mental soliloquies), you can easily start with this book.

Spencer Quinn is as reliable a writer as David Rosenfelt -- I always know what to expect and am never left wanting, saddened only in knowing I will need to wait for my next Chet and Bernie adventure.

The books are told from the point of view of Chet, which can be puerile or overly sentimental in the hands of less skilled writers. Quinn gets Chet just right, "plain and simple." If you have ever looked into your dog's eyes and wondered what he was thinking, this book is for you! Could your sleeping dog's whimpering be caused by a nightmare of a javelina with buzzsaw tusks? I just love Chet!

The mystery isn't overly complex, so if you are looking for twist and turns and surprising denouements, you can skip this one. If you are looking for a delightfully fun romp in the world of Chet and Bernie (this time in the mean streets of Washington, D.C, where Bernie's girlfriend Suzie Sanchez is working as a reporter), give this one a try -- it is worth a credit.

The narrator, Jim Frangione, IS the voice of Chet and does well with Bernie's vocalizations. However, his delivery of some of the accents (two of the British characters don't sound very British) is subpar. But, he is so perfect as Chet, the few shortcomings did not detract from the overall delivery.

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esto le resultó útil a 22 personas

Heavy on drama, light on mystery

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

Revisado: 08-02-14

I really enjoyed the 1st in the series and anxiously awaited this sophomore effort. However, as a mystery lover, I felt this book fell a bit flat. The mystery was tertiary in the book, following the relationship drama of the newlywed protagonists, Acton and Doyle, and the internal politics at the police station. Cleeland makes up for the thin mystery with wonderful writing (although Doyle has a few too many internal monologues, I found those to be the most amusing bits in the book.)
Overall, I enjoyed this book and loved "visiting" again with these characters, but I hope we see more police procedural in the 3rd entry in this series and less family drama.
Marcella Riordan is FABULOUS. She handles a range of voices, male and female, with aplomb. I plan to see out other books she has narrated.

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esto le resultó útil a 6 personas

Stinky Tofu Anyone???

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

Revisado: 08-02-14


Interesting novel set in Taiwan. The protagonist, Jing-naan, runs a food stand in Shilin Night Market in Taipei but once had aspirations for more. He attended UCLA briefly until his returns to Taiwan to fulfill family obligations. After the death of his girlfriend, Julia, whom he had not seen for years, he becomes an unlikely detective, pursuing justice at the bequest of the Julia's parents.

The best part of this novel is the description of the Taiwan, especially of the night market -- the culture, the sights, smells and the FOOD. Even when Jing-naan travels outside the market, the food descriptors follow him (most memorable -- "clouds the color of rancid, fatty meat".)

I enjoyed hearing the expositions on the history of Taiwan and its people, but there was too much, which slowed down the story and made the mystery seem secondary (or tertiary.) There were episodes of good suspense, clever writing and humorous dialogue, though and the characters in the night market were interesting, although they seemed like caricatures.

This was enjoyable, but mostly due to the descriptions of the setting and its history. If you are looking for a riveting mystery, you might want to skip this one.

Feodor Chin, the narrator does fine job, especially with the protagonist and other male characters.

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esto le resultó útil a 9 personas

Made Alligator Alley fly by

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

Revisado: 06-26-14

I started this book the day before a business trip to Florida and found it hard to put down outside of business hours. I was so happy to have this well-crafted mystery to help the miles melt beneath my wheels; otherwise the hours I spent on the road wouldn't have been so pleasant (although, I learned one needs cruise control with such an involving tome, otherwise the speedometer frequently tips 80.)

"The Silkworm" (Rowling's 2nd mystery under the nom de plume Robert Galbraith), continues with the character development begun in "Cuckoo's Calling" of Cormoran Strike (war hero, illegitimate son of a rock star and struggling PI with one prosthetic leg, courtesy of the Afghan theater) and Robin, Cormoran's temp secretary turned Girl Friday/Dr. Watson.
I love that Galbraith/Rowling makes Cormoran a bit misanthropic and surly and not some unrealistic, noble hero. His imperfections make him all the more likable.
And the icing on the cake -- a twisty mystery with multiple plot arcs, replete with engaging characters.
Rowling proved to the world that she can write YA fantasy -- well, she has proven to me she can write mysteries irrespective of which name appears on the cover.
And the narrator, Robert Glenister -- PERFECTION! His range is incredible despite is deep voice, he manages not to make the women sound campy (like some male narrators do.) I plan to search for books narrated by him so I do not have to wait until the next Robert Galbraith novel appears.
The worst part is I have started and stopped several books since I finished "The Silkworm" -- it is a tough act to follow.

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esto le resultó útil a 137 personas

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