Sharon

Monotonous!

Revisado: 08-23-20

Author goes on an on about boring minutiae and gets bogged down with unnecessary information. I found this annoying and could not get into the story.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Bad narrator

Revisado: 04-21-20

The narrator chopped up sentences, pausing for no reason at random. His voice was grating with no change in inflection. On the positive side he had a British accent. The story itself was fascinating and well written and I would have to recommend this audiobook. It could have been 5 stars plus if not for the narrator.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 9 personas

The first crime of the century

Revisado: 06-26-17

Would you listen to The Devil's Gentleman again? Why?

What made this audiobook so fascinating to me was the suspense as the story unfolded. Now that I know how it turned out, I might still listen to it again paying more attention to the many interesting details the author provided to enrich his narrative.

What did you like best about this story?

The author did not just tell a story. He placed it the context of history as a precursor to the sensationalism surrounding celebrity crime today. Before OJ, Phil Spector, Robert Blake, and Conrad Murray, there were the trials of a psychopathic poisoner son of a revered general. The 'yellow' newspapers reported on them fervently feeding America's new obsession. The characters are finely drawn and there are even a few surprises that await the listener.

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

I have never heard any of his ther performances but I did enjoy his style, more so as the story progressed and I got used to his voice.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, I could have easily, but that would have made it less enjoyable to me. It's a long story filled with so many interesting details and so better to listen to in sessions.

Any additional comments?

Great story with a good amount of insight into the characters.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 4 personas

Litany of murders, clues and frustrated dectives

Revisado: 12-12-16

What would have made The Killing Season better?

I don't think there was an effort to make this book into a story. Yes, there were lots of murders and they are all horrific -- but that in itself does not lend itself into a book.

What could Alex French have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Personally, I didn't get the point of why this was made into a book. There was nothing interesting about it. No characters to care about.

What does David Drummond bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He is an excellent narrator, not his fault story is all over the place.

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

I was annoyed with this story. Could not wait to for it to end.

Any additional comments?

This title of the book summarizes exactly what the book is about, but I certainly didn't expect just a recitation of who murdered who until it get so boring you stop caring. It's all over the place with a zillion characters. It was hard to keep track of all those people. Goes off on tangents discussing every clue, every detective, and every murder committed in Colorado and Utah in the early 70s.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 3 personas

nauseous fumes??

Revisado: 03-23-16

Great story practically ruined by constant mispronunciation of even basic words! It's noxious fumes NOT nauseous fumes! Doesn't author care enough to listen to his book before it's for sale?? Fantastic story so I had to give it 4 stars.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Fascinating, a rare look into the mind of a killer

Revisado: 08-30-15

Would you consider the audio edition of Two Heads Equal Two Hands to be better than the print version?

I have not read the print version.

Who was your favorite character and why?

It would have to be the killer. His intellectual (and he is extremely smart) seems at odds with his distorted thinking. The others make too brief an appearance.

What about Aaron Clawitter’s performance did you like?

i thought he was great! His voice had the right mix of seriousness and irony for the story. But he whistled his s's which was very annoying until you got used to it.

What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?

It was interesting how the killer diferentiated between psychopathy and mentl illness.

Any additional comments?

The words of a serial killer of 14 people (and two others later on.) He is extremely intelligent and well educated and one senses he comes from a rich family. His reasoning is certainly delusional and sometimes hilarious (whether intentional or not.) From simply having a nihilistic point of view, his life unravels as he stops working, abandons his apartment for life on the streets, and decides to kill more people. He especially likes to walk around his victims' mansions after he murders them. The police are clueless as to who he is because he's figured out that if he kills completely at random, leaves no evidence, and doesn't brag, he'll never get caught. He seems obsessed with the idea of asymmetry (thus the title) and he aims to fix this by killing only strangers (he can change their lives while they don't even know who he is.) He is a psychopath (not necessarily a bad thing), logical, and wants to be a teacher to society. He does not have a real mental illness like schizophrenia. Whether this is a real person, I don't know. But it is presented as a true story and is a very entertaining one either way. I would have given it 5 stars but I would have liked more of a background to this story and more about this killer. This would have made it seem more real to me.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

By far the best audiobook on Ted Bundy

Revisado: 07-25-15

Would you consider the audio edition of The Bundy Murders: A Comprehensive History to be better than the print version?

I have not read the print version.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Obviously not my favorite person, but the most interesting character is the subject of the book - Ted Bundy.

What does Kevin Pierce bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Kevin Pierce can make most any story great. He is my favorite narrator, so I'm biased. (But a lot of other reviewers agree with me.) In this book, he sounds like what I would expect of a detective -- his voice finds just the right tone of irony as he relays Bundy's 'thought processes' and actions. I liked his performance much more than the narrator in the Ann Rule book, 'The Stranger Beside Me'.

What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?

I would say the descriptions of Ted Bundy's peculiar relationship with his girlfriend, particularly his violent episodes. Also when a casual friend brings to light an incident on how he mistreated his girlfriend. He was able to 'contain himself' but certain situations brought out his violent personality, even among those he knew personally. One of his professors was suspicious of him and reported him to the police as a possible suspect.

Any additional comments?

Fascinating account of the life and crimes of Ted Bundy. Perfect narration draws you in and sets just the right mood. This is a story where every day lives, small town America, college students, and hitch hikers meet unspeakable evil. Bundy unravels psychologically and physically from the handsome and saavy budding politician and law student as his true self -- a monster who lives to kill and hides body parts in lush forests -- creeps out from behind his mask. Yes, it's graphic, but no more than it has to be to convey this true horror story. I listened to this more than once.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 23 personas

Abridged version leaves too much out

Revisado: 08-12-14

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

It should be offered in unabridged format. So much detail and description is left out - and that is what makes Ann Rule's books so interesting.

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

Tom Capano's secret,double life is the most interesting. Least interesting was the repetitive and much too detailed descriptions of Anne Marie Fahey's personality. So she did have an affair with a married man - not very moral, but Ann Rule tries to compensate for her 'sin' and 'save' her reputation way too hard.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

She sounded like she was very bored and sleepy and pronounced Capano like Capana sometimes - unless this is an alternate pronunciation. Other words were not pronounced correctly which is very annoying.

What character would you cut from And Never Let Her Go?

Too much emphasis on Anne Marie Fahey's family. They seem like great and caring people but a good story is balanced and more about Tom Capano and his family should have been included.

Any additional comments?

I could not finish listening to this audio book. I would recommend reading the book - it was great! So disappointed with the audio version.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 3 personas