Patricia

Interesting characters

Revisado: 08-30-16

Would you listen to The Cuckoo's Calling again? Why?

I would certainly listen to a second title in this series. I hope there is one. I'm not actually much for British fiction, but I found this unusual and interesting. Kept me guessing til the very end.

Who was your favorite character and why?

It's hard to choose a favorite between the principals of the Strike Detective Agency. She's resourceful, determined, and just finding her potential. He's jaded, damaged, and doggedly brilliant. They're perfect foils for one another.

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Disappointing

Revisado: 08-30-16

What would have made Beautiful Ruins better?

This book came highly recommended by Audible staff and the synopsis sounded great. A small hotel in Italy, the owner seeking a mysterious actress who visited decades ago. Picturesque, romantic, the perfect summer read. Except it isn't. I listened to about two-thirds of it and found myself enjoying it less and less. When I realized the characters --every single one of them -- are the beautiful ruins, I gave up.

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A Sealed Room Mystery for Tres

Revisado: 08-30-16

What did you like best about this story?

This is a classic "sealed room" mystery. Everyone is trapped on the island and one by one they start ending up dead. Whodunit??? It's so very Agatha Christie. I loved it.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Once again, Tres' brother Garrett becomes a fully realized character, which greatly adds to the emotional depth of the book. Tres' flashbacks to his childhood visits to the island do that as well. Not that it's deep-deep, because you know, Agatha Christie.

Any additional comments?

The storm descriptions are terrific, especially at the lighthouse. And I for one did not figure out the villain until the very end.

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Seriously?

Revisado: 08-30-16

If you’ve listened to books by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg before, how does this one compare?

My daughter and son-in-law have been reading this series and recommended it. They say it melds their interests in relationship fiction and spy thrillers. I thought I'd give it a try. I'm not such a fan. It's just too over the top for me -- Nick is pretty much James Bond and she's pretty much, oh I don't know, Jane Rizzoli maybe? Private jets, yachts, island retreats . . . yeah, that's all in the FBI playbook.

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You can see it coming, but it's still quite a ride

Revisado: 08-30-16

What made the experience of listening to Vigilante the most enjoyable?

It's been a while since I listened to a Shane Scully novel, and this was a treat. Though the bad guy is pretty readily apparent, there were enough plot twists to keep my interest.

What did you like best about this story?

I actually like the part after the arrest best. I won't spoil it, but just say I suspect it's more realistic than just ending the novel with the perp in handcuffs.

Which character – as performed by Scott Brick – was your favorite?

Shane, of course. Ever the self-aware tough guy.

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Dated and improbable

Revisado: 08-30-16

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

Here's the thing about basing a plot on current technology: it isn't current long. Without giving too much away, I'll say this plot resolution depends on technology that may have been new and shocking in 2008, but is commonplace now.

What character would you cut from Hold Tight?

The second problem in this book is that it takes quite some time for the plot lines to converge. I was reading along about the teenager's disappearance, which is the most interesting part, and began wondering where these other random chapters full of murder and mayhem fit in. Once all is revealed -- let's just say it's improbable in the extreme. There are way too many ancillary characters/subplots to keep track of. I still can't quite figure who's related to whom.

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Enough with the smartass comments already

Revisado: 08-30-16

What would have made New Tricks better?

I read the first couple of titles in this series and remember liking them. But I found this one tiresome, largely because the protagonist has a smart remark for every situation. Including rushing to the hospital where his fiancée may be dying. I know it's supposed to be an endearing trait, anti-establishment guy and all that. But my reaction to this audiobook: Oh, grow up.

Would you ever listen to anything by David Rosenfelt again?

Nope.

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Not the sweet little road trip implied

Revisado: 05-22-16

What made the experience of listening to Whistling Past the Graveyard the most enjoyable?

The book summary made me think this would be like The Secret Life of Bees. It's darker than that. The early days of civil rights unrest in the South are no time for a little girl to be running away from home and hooking up with a black woman who happens to have a white baby with her.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Starla, probably, though her traveling companion is also a redemptive character. Bad things happen to them both, but together they persevere and are okay in the end.

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A Polemic on Criminal Justice

Revisado: 05-22-16

What did you like best about Hunter? What did you like least?

This is only sort of a novel. Mostly it's a diatribe on the failings of the criminal justice system. The author ignores the basic writer's maxim: show, don't tell. He does show the shortcomings of prosecutors, judges, etc, but he ALSO tells, endlessly.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The fundamental relationship in the novel is so unlikely, absolutely so improbable a coincidence, that the whole thing becomes kind of farcical. You'll figure out who "the bad guy" is well before it's revealed. Seriously, you will. And you'll wonder why supposedly professional investigators are so far behind you.

On the other hand, you also be wondering how the crime described in the first couple of chapters relates to the rest of the book. It happens, then it's not mentioned again for hours of listening time. When it does eventually loop back in -- yeah, improbable.

Have you listened to any of Conor Hall’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

The narrator has a good range of voices, especially for the multiple male characters.

Was Hunter worth the listening time?

Nope.

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Could have called it The Eavesdropper

Revisado: 04-04-16

Which character – as performed by Rich Orlow – was your favorite?

Probably Jake, the younger brother who gets a backbone through his family's tragedy. I liked Gus too -- he always seems to know what to say and do.

Any additional comments?

This is a stand alone book from William Kent Krueger, a departure from his Cork O'Connor novels. The narrator is a kid. the oldest son of a minister and a choir director. Though there are several deaths in their small town, a couple don't really count, that is, they never tie strongly into the story. A story which is often advanced because the narrator is hiding at the top of the stairs, listening through the heating grate, huddled in the next room, etc. In other words, a lot of what we learn comes from Frank's eavesdropping on the adults. It's not a bad literary device, but it's overused here. Positive: the story takes you back to the early 1960's quite well.

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