The Irresponsible Reader

No Muss, No Fuss, Just a Solid Thriller

Revisado: 01-28-25 El oyente recibió este título gratis

★ ★ ★ 1/2 (rounded up)
An expanded version of this originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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HOW WAS THE NARRATION?
My initial reaction to the thought was "absolutely fine," and I was prepared to move on. However brief that answer was.

But Keyser deserves a little more than that, I think. He really was a great match for this material—I wish I could find other audiobook credits for him to see how he does with other genres (and am a little discouraged to see that he's not attached to the rest of this trilogy). He could handle the lighter moments--the sweet moments--as well as the not-even-close-to-sweet moments when bullets are flying equally well (and we've all heard narrators that can't quite pull that off in the same book).

I really enjoyed his work and think he made a series of really smart choices and executed them well.

SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT PIGEON-BLOOD RED?
After various and sundry delays, it was hard for me to remember some details that I wanted to, so I listened to a few bits again—and I really had a hard time forcing myself not to just listen to the whole book again (if I had one more day on a Libby book, I probably would've indulged myself). I think that says plenty about this book.

Duncan assembled this particular book very well, there were a lot of moving pieces—and plenty of backstories to bring in—and he managed to keep the reader engaged with all the characters while maintaining the pace and building the tension. I really admired that--in a longer book that might have been easier, actually, but this is a quick listen and to cram as much in as he does is no mean feat (and it never feels crowded, crammed, or rushed).

There's a scene that I've spent some time thinking about again and again since I listened to this--it's a pivotal scene toward the end. It could be a scene from a farce—it's full of mistaken identities, close calls, crazy chains of events, and so on. You add a jaunty, bouncy soundtrack and an exaggerated facial expression or two, and it could be seen as comical. If you ignore the blood, terror, and death, that is. I could see it all very clearly in my mind, and I think Duncan faked me out a little bit (see: mistaken identities). Duncan and Keyser both were spot-on during this scene/sequence and earned a lot of trust from me there.

I found something to like in all the primary characters, (other than Robert and unnamed persons from the above section), and got invested in the outcomes surrounding them. By the end of the book, I wasn't actually sure what character(s) the trilogy would follow and could see myself signing on to whatever ones Duncan stuck with. I was pretty sure it'd be Rico—and the title of the third book, Rico Stays gives it away. But that I'd have been open to some others, I think tells you a lot.

Was this a book that ever really blew me away? I don't think so—but I was engaged and entertained through it all. It was entirely satisfying (if you ignore the bump with Rico in the beginning, but I got over it). And now that I've finished this post, I can get to listen to the rest of the trilogy in short order. Be prepared to sign on to a trilogy if you start this (a quick-moving trilogy, I should stress).

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Things Go From Bad to Worse (and then Even Worse)

Revisado: 01-14-22

★ ★ ★ 1/2 (rounded up)
An expanded version of this originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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I didn't enjoy this quite as much as the predecessor—but I'm pretty sure that has everything to do with this being the second installment in a trilogy. It's just the way I am with trilogies. I do wonder if some of it is also the way D.I. Madison was used here. On both counts, I fully expect that the close of this trilogy is going to leave me impressed and maybe even liking this a bit more than I do right now.

I thought that the image of the mass grave from the beginning of Far from the Tree was the apex for disturbing images for the series. A big shock to get the ball rolling, and it'd be all down here from there. I don't remember being that naïve and foolish, but man...Parker outdoes himself in creating one location in the book. I'm just glad the Smell-O-Vision technology hasn't made its way to smartphones. Also, there's a method of murder used here that I've never run across before, I'm dying to know if it's real, but I don't even know how to search for it online without going on the FBI's radar. Seriously, the book is worth your time just to hear about it. I'm not sure the book is also worth the poor sleep you'll get if you think too much about the method, however.

As I said before, there are many point-of-view characters running around in this novel, and I wouldn't have complained about having more time with any of them. Other than Madison, we got enough time with them all, but I enjoyed each perspective enough that I could have taken at least one more scene with them all. I typically think less is more on the multiple-perspective novels, but this isn't one of them. Both Parker and Brown handle all the voices really well.

I couldn't predict anything about this story. Parker keeps you on your toes and on the edge of your seat—he zigs when you expect him to zag. Or, he zags when you expect, but in a way that turns your expectations upside down.

Once again, Parker and Brown have delivered something brutal, unrelentingly gripping, and full of the unexpected. I can't wait to see what they've got in store for #3.

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