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Great narrator

Revisado: 03-10-24

Good listen. You just have to be a little bit patient as it warms up. Will listen again in case I missed something.

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Loved

Revisado: 09-23-21

Great story and narration! Lots of time spent listening and researching (sadly - my idea of fun)!

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Pretty good actually

Revisado: 05-12-21

I should start by saying I really enjoy Fredrik Backman's work so, right out of the gate, I might have some biases. At the very least I've share a glimpse into my personality. Still, as with the others I've read/heard, I enjoyed this book. In truth, I had to start it a couple of times before it grabbed me. It's a short story couched in a lot of detail. When I did get going there was a lot of rewinding to make sure I didn't miss a clue on the identity of the bank robber.

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Painful...

Revisado: 12-10-14

What disappointed you about Whiskey Beach?

I am one of those individuals who will finish a book at most costs once I have started it - risky I know - so I managed to get through this one. Overall, I just did not care one way or the other about the characters or the story line. The first 14 or so chapters just went on without event. After that you get just to enough to think things may pick up some and, after what seems like 100 hours of story later, it ends very predictably. I really wish I could have just called Eli, told him who killed his wife, and saved us both the time and effort.

What was most disappointing about Nora Roberts’s story?

I felt like this is the same story with the character names change. I just finished Midnight Bayou - rich man, new age, beautiful woman, and a wonderful house. Change the beach house to a lush, antebellum home, make the grandmother hers instead of his, add a few ghosts and stir. All in all, this was not the story I needed to keep me entertained during my daily commute.

What aspect of Luke Daniels’s performance would you have changed?

The performance was OK I guess. I just wanted him to reel it in a little bit. Some of expressions for characters were a little over the top. However, I do appreciate that he gave every character their own voice.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Redeeming qualities - I did giggle a little at a passage or two. I'm fishing so I will stop here.

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Dead is Dead...

Revisado: 06-26-14

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would not recommend that anyone purchase this book. It is an ok read/listen but if I had to purchase it all over again, I would not. I would just check it out from the library. I am new to Harlen Coben having only read two books prior to this one. The other two were great listens. This one - not so much. I would love to blame it on the narrator (think Nancy Grace) but this story was just - for lack of a better word - cheesy. If I did not know better I would have thought Caught was Coben's first novel - the one where the storyline is not quite terrible but you can sense the potential of the writer.

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

The promise of the story was intriguing. It has the right elements to draw in the listener - a child gone missing, an individual you are just not sure is a predator, you name it - but it went no where. This book is almost the equivalent of a Saturday Night Live spoof of a Law and Order episode.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The primary narrator is better served doing light-hearted material, maybe chick-lit, not mystery. I would not say she was terrible but this is absolutely not her genre.

Was Caught worth the listening time?

Yes and no - maybe with a different narrator the book would have had the right tone. This is just not the level of writing I expected from what little I know about Coben.

Any additional comments?

Did anyone else notice that at least two of the characters in the story are also characters in John Grisham's Sycamore Row? This might be one of the most memorable parts of the story.

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Intriguing, Gruesome and Powerful

Revisado: 06-19-14

Wanted Woman is a tough book to review – mostly because how I felt about the book is in conflict with how I want to feel about the book. Overall, the storyline was fast-paced and complete within itself. There is a set up for a sequel but this book has a start and a finish that some books in sequels lack. If you are a fan of EJD, you will recognize two of his constants within Wanted Woman; 1). thought provoking dialogue, and 2). acute attention to detail especially when describing the setting of the story.

Wanted Woman is not for the faint of heart (please consider this a warning and not a challenge). I would not recommend this book to anyone who is not comfortable with graphic violence. I am not comfortable with graphic violence and I will admit to questioning my own ability to complete the book at a few pivot points. This book is gruesome and raw but intrigue kept me listening until the end.

Goldilocks Reaper/MX-401 is relentless. She is an assassin who in some strange and uncomfortable way becomes almost endearing. How she became who she is and how she struggles to maintain and control the only real identity she has ever known compels you to grit your teeth and suffer through the violence just so you can learn a little more about Reaper. In truth, no one really wants to see a violent assassination – one who has earned the honor of being officially designated more violent than most – vindicated but by about mid-book you just can’t help hoping that Reaper will somehow be able to pull off the impossible.

Within the story is a secondary story about two sisters – Reaper and Petrichor. The sisters make a powerful and effective team in several ways. What is more powerful is the bond that develops between the two. EJD gives us glimpses of their growing relationship throughout the story – a welcome distraction from some of the more violent scenes.

A lot has been said about the two narrators – Zoe Bell and Dominic Hoffman – but I think they accomplished the task well. Zoe had a nonchalance in her voice that I think really illustrates the character of Reaper well. Her tone seemed to give more depth to the ‘it is what it is’ calm of Reaper. I do not know accents and dialects well enough to really be critical but I also think she handled Reapers 1,000 faces convincingly. Dominic was the voice of the LK’s and, although his part of the narration was less memorable, I was not put off by it.

All in all, I left this book terribly conflicted. I wanted to ‘thumbs down’ the book because of the excessive violence but there are layers here that make the book (dare I say) worth reading. Will I read what seems to be an impending sequel or will I determine that the violence is just too much for me to sit through another listen? How much do I want or need to see the ends left loose in Wanted Woman tied and brought to completion? Curiosity may just pull me into the sequel – only time will tell. The reality is I am probably exactly where EJD wants me and all of his readers to be – thinking about his work. It has been almost two weeks since I completed the book and, for good or bad, it is still fresh.

As for a recommendation, I will probably never listen to or read Wanted Woman again (very uncharacteristic of me as I read and reread often). The images are still vivid that I do not necessarily need to reread it to revisit it. It is, however, a good book with great depth, vulgar and honest, intriguing, gruesome and powerful. If you are willing to listen, knowing what you know now, be prepared for a wild ride.

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Enjoyable - even when unsettling - listen!

Revisado: 06-12-14

If you could sum up Montana Sky in three words, what would they be?

Believe it or not, this is only my second Nora Roberts book - the other I actually read. I thought her material would be too "knight in shining armor' for me. I was pleasantly surprised with Montana Sky. In three words (not necessarily a sentence) I would say the story is about love, identity and discovery.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Montana Sky?

The most memorable moment of the story for me was when I realized that the individual who I believed was the guilty party was really... well... you will know when you listen. I don't want to spoil the most memorable moment.

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

Something about the sisters coming together and finding friendship was very moving for me. It was not necessarily a moment in the story but it was something for which to cheer as you listened.

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Great combination - story line/narrator/author!

Revisado: 06-06-14

What made the experience of listening to Sycamore Row the most enjoyable?

Other than the subject line above, Sycamore Row was well thought out with a plausible story line. I love reading/listening to a book that does not cause you to stretch your imagination beyond reality in order to connect with the people, places and things - that has both historical and present-day context to which we can (or at least I could) quickly relate.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Sycamore Row?

To share my most memorable moment would be to walk right up against a spoiler and I will not do that. Suffice it to say, the author provides a lot of detail throughout the earlier chapters and by the end, every detail is accounted for and makes sense as a relevant part of the story.

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

I do not like reading/listening to books about history but I do like to reading/listening to books that use the history as a setting for a larger story (I hope that makes sense). These are the moments that moved me. I was most impressed by the way the author made us feel every emotion he wanted us to feel about the main characters. You were never really sure if Seth was to be hated or adored - if he was a fool or a genius. You were never really sure if Letty was to be trusted and suspected - if she was a con-artist or an innocent. If Seth's children were victims or flat-out greedy (I made this decision early:-)

Any additional comments?

This is a great listen. I would recommend it to anyone looking to listen to a story about real characters, living out what could have been our past and our presence.

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Don't mind a cliffhanger but...

Revisado: 03-18-14

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

As stated in the headline, I do not mind a cliffhanger at all. I do not mind buying books that come in a series but this series I will not continue. When I read/listen to a book in a series, something about the characters or the storyline has to intrigue me enough to make me purchase the next in the series. I can honestly say with this book - I do not know any more than I knew after I read the brief synopsis prior to purchasing the book. What a waste. I love detail in a book but I also love a story in a book. I wish I had not purchased this.

Would you ever listen to anything by H.M. Ward again?

No and I will make a note so that I do not forget to avoid this author.

What didn’t you like about Erin Mallon and Sebastian Fields ’s performance?

The performance was fair. I wish Sebastian had done all of the reading. His voice was appropriate as both sexes. Why they would have a male and female narrator and not have the male do all of the male readings (and vice versa) I'm not sure I understand.

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Will read this one again!

Revisado: 11-27-13

Where does Suspect rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is one of the best audiobooks I have read.

What did you like best about this story?

The story was great but I think what made the story both captivating and different from the rest was the perspective of the other main character - Maggie. I loved reading her chapters! It gave the mystery this endearing quality that is usually played out differently in books. Read it - You will understand!

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