Casi Dougal

One of the best Audible performances ever

Revisado: 11-07-19

I've listened to many Audible books, including many true crime selections, and I have to say I think this was my favorite. The actual crime itself was tragic however not that sensational compared to the crimes of serial killers, etc. that are the subject of many true crime books. What sets this selection apart is the setting, the cultural backdrop, and most of all the author and narrator, James Dommek Jr who, unlike any other audible selection I recall listening to, was a contemporary of the accused and culture. The narration comes across as authentic, honest, and engaging ... as if you're sitting in a room with the narrator listening to the story.

I notice several negative reviews regarding the narrator's use of F***, however, to me it is a component of the authenticity of the narrator. As that for whatever reason is a word commonly used in the culture where this story is set and from which the narrator is from. Much of the presentation is interviews and recordings from members of this community and the accused himself which are all peppered with F***.

Rejecting a story because it authentically reflects the real culture in which it's set is an insular stance that keeps people small-minded and intolerant. Regardless of what one thinks of a culture's colloquial vernacular, it's a component of the setting and characters in the story so eliminating or changing it would be disingenuous.

James Dommek Jr. is a master storyteller and represents that tradition from his culture well. I will be recommending this one.

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Great performance with no substance

Revisado: 09-18-19

The production and performance of this audible selection were outstanding, as good or better than any selection I've ever listened to. I was surprised when I started listening as it was not what I would consider and audiobook, but rather a radio production that would be common to NPR or BBC ... definitely not a book. Regardless, it was fantastically well done and, taken moment-by-moment, captivating, especially with the profusion of Scottish brogue dialog.

This series falls flat however in that it ends exactly where it begins, with a charming English couple casually hem hawing "Do you think he did it?" "Well, I'm not sure, he says he didn't so he might not have." etc., etc.

While the production teases us by touching on some topics that might actually be relevant and worthy of exploration, it always comes up short and never delves in deep enough to important topics. One example is they mention that the prosecution asserted that David, the convict, texted Suzane, the victim, 30-40 times per day but then didn't text her at all starting the day she went missing. We hear a friend of Suzane's say that David did this, and then David said he didn't always do that. The police have both their mobile phone records yet the authors never say if this was a fact or not but leave us with the opinions of two biased people.

A vast majority of the book is filled with David saying he didn't do it, his stepmother saying he didn't do it, and the narrators saying they're not sure if he did it or not, and them clumsily investigating and retracing rehashing some of the details and venues of the case.

Another frustrating aspect to this book is that a majority of it is spent on what seems to me to be irrelevant details of the case. For example painstakingly (and inconclusively) debating whether the victim was seen on CCTV for the last few feet before reaching her place of work. It was established without a doubt that she was progressing there via other CCTV and that the man who was convicted of killing her was at that location at the same time. Whether they can see her on the last 100 ft of her walk to the office seems immaterial to me however they spend a great time on this and similar other minor details.

In spite of the poorly curated and presented evidence of this production, it's apparent that the circumstantial evidence used to convict him is powerful. They make a huge point of the fact that there was no forensic evidence and imply throughout that because of this he should not have been convicted. I don't know the statistics however the use of circumstantial evidence as the primary, or even exclusive, means of a conviction is not as unusual as they make it out to be.

There is absolutely no alternative theory presented other than an oddball suggestion that a speeding blue car caught on CCTV was the real abductor of Suzanne. The circumstantial evidence against David seems very compelling to me and must have as well to the jury that convicted him. He not only is the only person with means, motive, and opportunity his proven actions after the murder are compelling.

At the beginning of the book, they mention that they contacted Suzanne's family to participate but they declined. I can understand why they would have and would have likely have made the same choice if I were in their shoes. Unfortunately, we are left with a very one-sided presentation of the case.

Even given all these shortcomings, the story as can be gleaned from the chaff is compelling and tragic and may be worth a listen. Of hardly any mention in this book is the victim herself. My heart goes out to her and her family and I hope that some solace or resolution can be found for them down the road.

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The narrator sounds like a robot

Revisado: 06-25-12

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

A different narrator.

What didn’t you like about Karen Saltus’s performance?

Wow. Let me just say first the Ms. Saltus is an extremely talented voice over artist. She has the most articulate voice I think I've ever heard. And that's the problem for me with her narration of this book . . . she sounds exactly like a machine. It's uncanny. Her voice and articulation sound better than what's on my GPS or even Siri on my iPhone.I'm afraid I can't stand to listen to such a mechanical sounding voice, as technically good as it is, for a book reading. For me, the choice of narrator has completely ruined this audio book experience.The voice is completely detached from the narrative and it sounds artificial with no emotional connection at all to the text.In my opinion, the experience of listening to a book is much more than just hearing a technically consistent and accurate voice reading words . . . it's should be a performance with authentic emotional engagement that connects with the listener and strengthens the narrative.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment

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