Mark

Where can I find the unabridged version? Loved it.

Revisado: 11-23-24

Pileggi is a master storyteller. This is based on real events but the twists and turns are entertaining. When a book keeps me from falling asleep at night while I listen, it's a winner. I had to shut it off so I could look forward to the next chapter.
The narrators (who are actors) were so good. Despite my five stars across the board, I do have two suggestions: 1) it became a challenge to know when the characters were changing and it was difficult to keep up with who was who. 2) The abridged version is simply to short.

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Outstanding work that kept me up nights listening

Revisado: 11-01-24

Mr. Harriot fills in so many historical blanks that it's difficult to quantify them all. His witticisms make this a very enjoyable listen. He sometimes adds a contemporary flair that may be appreciated by younger readers. Every American school or family should get a copy of this. He covers the highs and the lows of African-American's (and America's) march to inclusiveness and freedom. I love that he covered what happened in Europe before 1619 that was the impetus for the Virginia colony, and theft of people in general. He also explains things from the Native American's perspective.- one that is often lost in the ether of history education. Some things I knew but as a Black man I am embarrassed to say that I only new names, but not their historical impact. Mary McLeod Bethune is a case in point; we have her and her relationship with FDR and his wife Eleanor Roosevelt to thank for Blacks being allowed to serve in the Air Force, and the Tuskegee Airmen. It is, simply, brilliant.

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What a mind-bending yarn!

Revisado: 06-24-24

This true story from the 70s-80s is unbelievable, but apparently it really happened. Very well researched and documented because many participants across many States were pulled into the intrigue by a manipulative wife. The story is so well written and narrated I listened almost continuously as my circumstances would allow - almost 20 hours but it does not "feel" that long because the listener is anxious to see if another shoe will drop. I am left feeling sympathy for her children and other family members that were affected by the devious and diabolical Mrs. Hilley. Great book.

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The moments of contrition by the author is refreshing.

Revisado: 05-26-24

I know the story so well, as I lived on the west side of Los Angeles when all of this was happening. I can attest to the affect it had on the local community, as I was probably one of two black men in America, who believed he did it. However, my coworkers and neighbors could not “see” my position and after the verdict, some wrote me off entirely and stopped speaking to me. So I picked up this book because I wanted to learn as much detail as I can as to support my position of seeing Simpson as guilty. The author relies on his perspective as being a long time, friend and agent of Simpson, thus he provides gossipy and juicy snippets of everyone that he ever came into contact with. Some parts were riveting, but even the boring parts had enough continuity to carry you over to the other things that you knew were coming. I like historical books or biographies that fill in a lot of blanks, and rely on actual evidence. The only part where this book fell apart, was toward the end when the author created a scenario as to how Nicole was killed: dialogue, movements, etc. I thought that was a waste.

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Repetitive but fascinating. Accident vs crime?

Revisado: 03-25-24

A 50+ -year old case of the death of journalist and personality Dorothy Kilgallen. I remember her from old What's My Line gameshow clips. I gleaned from the text that she was VERY accomplished and was, what we could probably call today, an influencer. She was like Forrest Gump in the sense that she seemed to have a "front row seat" involving many important world events, and reported on them for her nationally syndicated column. However, due to her no-nonsense, straight-no-chaser style, she ruffled some feathers in high places; especially when she started investigating, and planning a book about, the assassination of President Kennedy. There is considerable speculation that her death from an overdose of barbiturates and alcohol may NOT have been accidental. Her messy (my word) romantic life added a bit of drama because she was married with kids.

The narrator is excellent. Very comfortable to listen to, with easy pacing.

I removed a star.because some information was a bit too repetitive.

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Sad commentary about another family annihilator

Revisado: 03-10-24

This story was very well researched and well written. I had done a lot of reading about this story but new details were revealed that I did not know. As I listened, the depth of grief that the families on both sides feel is unimaginable.

Listeners: This story seems to have been written from a British point of view, so as an American listener it was a bit of an adjustment to listen to this mature gentleman's accent, and the use of terms such as "estate" when referring to a neighborhood or subdivision. Odd choice, but not horrible.

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I should have listened to the sample

Revisado: 12-20-23

I had no idea that the man I'd seen giving commentary on Forensic Files was a true crime author. So I looked him up and found this book after watching the episode about these murders.I had heard of this case but wanted to do a deeper dive into the facts. The book provided a lot of detail that I was craving regarding the motivation for the crime. I'm only disappointed that a privileged girl and a supposed patriot - a Navy Seal, were able to get away with petty crimes for so long; crimes that other groups/people would never get away with. Thus they were able to graduate to ultimate acts of depravity.

The narrator was over the top - especially when he attempted to change character by adding dialects in a somewhat exaggerated way in order to depict the region where the speaker lived or was raised. I would have appreciated it more if he would have just read the lines straight with a he-said or she-said. I'm not sure if it's technical but his voice had an odd way of dropping to lower frequencies on some sentences to the point where I had to re-listen to swallowed words in order to get what he was saying. Over time, I got used to the reader but it was challenging at first.

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esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

I should have taken the hint from the sample

Revisado: 09-14-23

Laverne Cox should not have read this book. A reader who is able to authentically mimic Caucasian women (and better differentiate between the characters) would have been a better choice. I had seen the movie, but the tone of her voice was so low and her particular speech pattern was at odds with the characters, I tried speeding it up just to get through to the story because I had never read the book. I found myself searching for a different version of the audible (with a different reader) because this was the 50th anniversary. What were the producers of this audiobook thinking? This is an example of an artist who should have listened when someone said "No". I will be returning the book for a credit refund.

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Unbelievable but true, which makes it sad.

Revisado: 06-22-23

I had seen a television show that outlined this crime, but this book is very comprehensive. Sometimes the dialogue is tedious in its strange, one-word back-and-forth, but I got used to the narrator after a while as I became thirsty for more details. The performance is okay, but I'd get confused when the same raspy male voice would read the dialogue attributed to a female. His voice took some getting used to. I'm not accustomed to so many characters "talking" in these true crime documentary stories. Overall, it's definitely worth a listen if you like true crime stories that end with the culprit getting "theirs".

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A real battery-drainer.

Revisado: 10-07-22

I just started listening to Michael Cohen's podcast, Mea Culpa. It's fast-paced, well-produced, and Cohen is a VERY engaging host. Were it not for the extreme, continuous profanity on the podcast I would encourage very young people to listen so they could learn what's going on in their world from someone who's been to hell and back. But it's not just about him; he covers the news issues of the day. So I decided to read one of his books. "Revenge" has not been released yet, so downloaded this one. Frankly, I was surprised at what a gifted writer Cohen is and how he turns a phase and lays out the story. I cannot remember when I've listened to a lengthy audiobook in just two sittings. My iPhone was hot to the touch when I finally shut it off. I could not turn it off, and took it to bed with me last night. No TV, no Netflix; nothing but this. Cohen presents his positions confidently and believably. I follow the news closely and thought I knew the Trump Org stories and scenarios but Cohen does not hold back on the back-story details. Informative, yes, Juicy and gossipy in spots - which I loved! The narrator Robert Petkoff is stellar and does not get in the way of the story.

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