Karen

Where is David Colacci????

Revisado: 03-19-19

I just could not continue listening to this book with the new narrator. David Colacci WAS the voice of Dismas Hardy. Jacques Roy does not differentiate among characters and reads with little or no inflection. He sounds bored, and so that makes me feel bored as well. I've listened to about 20% of the book and will finish it on my Kindle, having purchased the e-book because I want to find out what is happening to Phyllis! Sorry, Audible. I won't be purchasing any more Lescroart audible books read by this narrator.

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Not a thrilling thriller, I'm afraid

Revisado: 03-13-18

I was disappointed to find that David Colacci was not the narrator of this book, as he has become the voices of Dismas Hardy and Abe Glitsky for me. The new narrator seems bored with the book, which, I agree, is not very exciting. I was able to figure out the identity of the villain long before it was revealed, and I kept hoping it was a red herring, but, alas, it was not. Surely hope that the next book is better...if not narrated by Colacci, I likely will pass.

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Very close to perfection

Revisado: 04-14-16

In fact, Lenny Henry's narration IS an example of perfection. He is outstanding - each character has his or her own distinct voice, and with a number of dialects to master (some of them magical, non-human) he performs brilliantly. And because I enjoy Neil Gaiman's own narration so much, I almost took a pass on this book, not trusting anyone else to read it well. That would have been a grave mistake.

This is a story of two brothers, who share a fantastical legacy. In the wake of their father's death, they find each other and their shared purpose and love and destiny and oh-so-much more. This is a bit of a departure for Neil Gaiman, as much of it takes place on a Caribbean island. And my only criticism (and I hesitate to even call it that) is that the denouement is a bit contrived, But then, the book is all about magic, so why not? If you are a Gaiman fan, I'm sure you will love it as much as I did.

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I should have read the reviews!

Revisado: 03-14-16

I totally empathize with the reviewer who felt "tortured" by the author, because the book changes tone about halfway through - after the reader is already totally involved. Not only is Pretty Girls unnecessarily and disturbingly violent and graphic, the protagonist makes one stupid decision after another, thereby increasing her peril. It's like the old Eddie Murphy sketch, where he wonders why people always run upstairs when someone is chasing them. Why Karin Slaughter chose to portray the female characters in this book as "shallow, stupid, and selfish" (thank you, John S, another reviewer), I cannot imagine. I know from her other books that she can create strong, competent women characters. I have about four hours left to listen and frankly, I am inclined to just give up. I really don't care what happens to these characters, and I don't want to endure any more vicious descriptions of women being tortured.

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I disagree with the negative reviews

Revisado: 05-12-15

I have also read all of the Lucas Davenport novels and I would rank this as one of the best. Many writers who author long-running series seem to run out of enthusiasm for their characters; not so with John Sandford. This novel does, however, depart from his usual formula, and that may be why some readers were disappointed. A long and detailed procedural segment toward the end of the book was fascinating to me, and he follows this with a very brief and subtle polemic about the manner in which the media sometimes reports on police activities.

The inclusion of Letty in the narrative was a bonus, and we even had a bit of exchange with "that ****ing Flowers." I learned something about tolerance when dealing with various types of people who appear homeless and I surely hope this was not a swan song for Lucas. He has been part of my life (and many thousands of others, apparently) for many years and I would miss him.

And Richard Ferrone's narration? It just doesn't get any better than this.

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This is a five-star book

Revisado: 04-21-15

After the favorable reviews and accolades, how could I give this book less than five stars? I can only fault it by suggesting that some judicious editing might improve the flow of the narrative.I was, however, quite pleased to listen for the entire 23+ hours, waiting for the next turn of the clever plot.

The bones of the story have already been described, so I'll pass on that. Suffice to say that, while the story takes an erotic turn a few times, it is most definitely NOT soft porn, in any sense of the word. There is nothing in this book to offend. The homophobic reader will likely not enjoy the story, but I suspect that the book will only appeal to people with educational levels that are not consistent with homophobia.

Juanita McMahon is a very accomplished narrator, and does a magnificent job of giving each character a unique voice. Next week, I'll be treated to a dramatization of this novel by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. I hope the play lives up to the high standard set by the novel.

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JLB had a lot to say in this novel.

Revisado: 03-20-15

Some of his words are pure gold. The disadvantage of listening to a book is that you cannot highlight or bookmark a special few words. Burke's point of view becomes solid in this book and what he wants to say about life, through Dave Robicheaux's errors in judgment and liaisons with the spirit world, becomes apparent, at least for now.

This is not a plot-driven book; it is character-driven. Cletus makes a welcome return (I always picture him as Gary Busey). The plot is fairly mundane, and portrays Dave getting involved with some dangerous people as a consequence of helping an old friend. Most of the action takes place in Montana, and JLB establishes the ambiance in a manner that is similar to his lyrical descriptions of Louisiana, yet not as successful. The outcome is really never in doubt; it is the manner in which it will be reached that is the question, and the mythic/magical elements (of which I am very fond) do play a role here.

I have already read ALL of the Dave Robicheaux books, but not in order, so I am starting over, and enjoying them as audiobooks, except for Heaven's Prisoners, which is not available as an unabridged audio book. I have to say that I am not as fond of Mark Hammer's narration as I am of Will Patton's. In fact, I almost gave up on this book in the first few chapters, but I eventually got used to his voice. He does an abysmal job with Alafair and Batiste, and when Dave is having a conversation with Cleet, it is difficult to tell them apart. He gives everyone a Southern/Texas accent for some strange reason. I have to stop thinking of this as a performance and just imagine that Mark Hammer is reading to me, and doing the best he can. Unfortunately, it's just not very good.

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Suspension of disbelief is one thing...

Revisado: 12-03-14

...improbable coincidences that serve to tie together loose ends of a story are something else again. I am fond of this series and especially like the moral ambiguities that Jack Caffery and now Flea Marley are faced with. They are believable characters. The series of contrivances that brought this story (which began in the last book, Ritual) to a close are not believable, however.

Having said that, I could not stop listening during the last few hours of the book and actually spent the day baking so I would have an excuse to listen! I simply wanted to know how it would end - something that is all too predictable in many of the books I read.

I woiuld also add that the narration is flawless and adds greatly to the enjoyment. Although I was not much impressed with this book, I'll surely carry on to the next.

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And the saga continues...

Revisado: 11-26-14

I am completely smitten with this series, and eagerly await each new chapter. This book exceeded my expectations, which were pretty high. I was pleased to learn more about Constance Green, and more of the Pendergast family history.

A corpse on the doorstep of his home on Riverside Drive leads Pendergast to a variety of locales, exotic and familiar. Margo Green is a welcome returning character. She and Constance find themselves in a race to save the man they both love, in different ways and for different reasons.

I suppose one could find fault with the construction of the book if pressed into fine details, but why bother? This book, like all of the Pendergast books, is pure fun and adventure, with a bit of mystery and even some dry humor mixed in.

Rene Auberjonois is the ultimate narrator for this series, and I would find it difficult to imagine a Pendergast book without his voice to accompany. Thanks to both authors and the narrator for many hours of listening pleasure.

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Like many others, I am also disappointed

Revisado: 09-23-14

Tana French's latest effort involves the murder of a teenaged male student at an exclusive private school. The companion girls' school has a Secret Place where students can express themselves by posting items they don't feel comfortable talking about. As the book begins, someone has posted a message in The Secret Place, claiming to know the identity of the killer.

After investing six hours in this book, I simply could not imagine investing 14 more...so I just gave up, something I almost never do. Although I did enjoy the detective-narrated chapters, I simply could not bring myself to care about what happened to any of the pseudo-Valley Girls attending the private school, nor was I getting a clear picture of the victim and why I should care about him, either. This may have been a function of the narration, which has a powerful impact on the manner in which a book is perceived, so perhaps I'll try reading it in text form on my Kindle.

I was so looking forward to this book, as I have enjoyed her previous books. I guess I will avoid pre-ordering and wait to read reviews when her next book is published.

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