Cynthia

Best Lynley so far

Revisado: 04-25-20

This was an engaging and thought-provoking novel—deeper and more layered than the preceding (also very good) books in the series. Match that with Donada Peters’ excellent narration and character voices and George’s vivid prose, and the result is a great listen. My only disappointment in the series is that the main characters are flatter and less developed than the temporary characters around whom each mystery revolves. Nonetheless they are likable and interesting, and I seem to be along for the ride!

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Mixed, but compelling characters make it worth the listen...

Revisado: 09-24-15

Hmm. I should admit straight away that Adler-Olsen has me hooked enough to hear the next Department Q, but...

While I have hopes for other (perhaps future?) narrations by the undoubtedly gifted Erik Davies, the narration of "Lost Causes" was maddeningly uneven. Whether he or the producers made the choice that the speaking voices should be given Danish accents, the decision was unfortunate and distracting. Worse, just when I had gotten used to the broad slurring of the main character, Davies lost his grip of the sound, and for long stretches of the book thereafter, our hero sounded as if he was lost in the deep (American) south, groping his way toward a Denmark populated by clones of Jim Henson's swedish chef. (As in the muppet.)

Two notable exceptions to the muddle were his crystal clear delivery of Assad (a character on whose surprisingly capable shoulders the book could easily rest) and the somewhat peripheral chief of homicide investigations.

Davies' well-paced narration (apart from above) was very listenable, and he had a light touch with many of the humorous moments throughout the text. Yet several times I was jarred from the story to wonder whether the hackneyed Noir phrases, and the clichéd asides from our cynical hero were the result of poor translation (presuming the original written in Danish?), over-dramatic narration of elements intended as humor, or writing that missed the mark for me?

The story, too, is a mixed bag. At its core is a bizarre crime that stretches credulity at the same time as becoming oddly predictable in the second half of the novel, told in well-crafted scenes deftly unpeeled. BUT there are moments of real beauty, the sentiment refrains from mawkishness, the hero is believably unlikeable yet entirely sympathetic, and his surprising and delightful assistant nearly steals the show. It's the characters that make me give the story 4 stars. I want to know more about them.

So, crossing my fingers for the next one!

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Bit less mystery, bit sadder; still Dare!

Revisado: 04-03-13

Followers of Madeline Dare will want to tune in-- Read's snappy prose and Huber's pitch-perfect narration are again an unbeatable combination. But it's not what you might expect based on previous books in the series. The mystery takes a back seat to Madeline's personal life, which is taking a turn for the bleak.

At the same time, there are places where the crackling, dry humor of the writing and delivery will have you in stitches. I laughed so hard I sometimes had to pause the audiobook as Madeline dealt with the intense glamor of new motherhood, especially in the first 2/3 of the story. And the irony of a crime-fighting babe with babes in tow is perfect fodder for Read's wicked humor and flare for yanking the wig off ordinary absurdities.

Nutshell: If you're looking for a thriller along the lines of the first three in the series, this isn't. If it's Madeline Dare you're after, click already. After all, can we really desert a heroine so willing to give correctness, and bad guys, a hearty kick in the ass as Madeline just because life sometimes sucks? I found I couldn't.

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