Crime / Audiobook and Book Reviews by Audiothing

Crime

Showing posts with label Crime. Show all posts

Dead Rich, G.W. Shaw

Tuesday, 4 October 2022

Author: G.W. Shaw (William Shaw)

Pub date (paperback) November 2022

Publisher Riverrun Quercus Books

ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1529420032
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1529420036

Blurb:

Super yachts are secretive, like their owners. The bigger the richer. Like castles, they are created to inspire awe. Like castles too, they are defended. They are an entire world, separate from the rest of us.

Kai, a carefree once-successful musician is invited by his new Russian girlfriend Zina to join her family's Caribbean holiday. Impulsively accepting he learns that Zina is the daughter of a Russian oligarch, Stepan Pirumov and that the trip is aboard his yacht, the Zinaida, moored in St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands. The crew consists of Captain Marius Falk, the first mate Erin Wade and a hastily assembled staff, including a chief stewardess Marissa from Miami, a chief engineer from Lagos and a personal trainer from Los Angeles. All know how to behave around the very rich.

On arrival Kai discovers that the head of security has been arrested, armed guards are below deck, there's an onboard panic room and a strong sense of all not being quite right beneath the gleaming surfaces of the Pirumov's lives. An unnerving presence punctures the atmosphere: a murderous imposter is on board the Zinaida, but who is it?

Kai will find that the only person he can trust will be Erin and that the world of the super-rich will become a prison from which they must escape. Part locked-room suspense, part adventure story, Dead Rich is an unforgettable, edge of the seat thriller set in the blazing heat of the Caribbean

Review

The Best Read of the year

This is something a little special from William Shaw, all his stories are guaranteed to keep noses to books yet this is something a little different, a real, heart pounding thriller! It has everything, including a glimpse into the glamorous world of the super rich, travel to exotic and distant shores, intrigue, plots and counter plots, the world of music and much more.
The further I got in to the story the faster I read, I had to slow myself down so as not to miss anything.
As is usual with William Shaw's books we learn something new about the world around us.
As with all his work, this is beautifully written, another master class in "how to write"

thanks to NetGalley, Quercus Books

The Puppet Show (Washington Poe # 1) Author M.W. Craven

Saturday, 8 January 2022

Author M.W. Craven

Narrator John Banks

Washington Poe Book 1

9hrs 21 minutes

2018

Hachette Audio UK

A serial killer is burning people alive in the Lake District's prehistoric stone circles. He leaves no clues, and the police are helplessWhen his name is found carved into the charred remains of the third victim, disgraced detective Washington Poe is brought back from suspension and into an investigation he wants no part of.

He is reluctantly partnered with brilliant but socially awkward civilian analyst Tilly Bradshaw, and the mismatched pair uncover a trail that only he is meant to see. The elusive killer has a plan, and for some reason Poe is part of it.

As the body count rises, Poe discovers he has far more invested in the case than he could have possibly imagined. And in a shocking finale that will shatter everything he's ever believed about himself, Poe will learn that there are things far worse than being burned alive....

Horrific crimes in unusual settings, a massive twist within the story, two interesting lead characters and a somewhat gruesome, unhinged and unexpected perp.
What more could you want? Well, there IS more!

Poe has a past, he is under suspension but is called back to work because there is a very intriguing fact connecting him to an outrageous crime, reluctantly he agrees to investigate. With the help of the quirky and endearing Tilly he embarks on what must be one of the strangest and convoluted investigations of his career. This investigation leads him on a road he does not want to travel.

Actually it was a little darker than my usual reads, but, despite a somewhat slow start it is rather gripping and, I might add, stomach churning at times. Still, that doesn't stop me from wanting to know more about Washington Poe and the delightfully odd Tilly and I look forward seeing how their characters develop as the series progresses
I was happy with the narration, I thought John Banks did an excellent job
Audiobook via Audible Australia plus catalogue

Friday, 17 December 2021

I have listened to the whole series, well, the series so far, and have enjoyed every moment. What a refreshing change he is to so many of the other fictional police officers.

I enjoyed his dry wit, I sympathise with his dislike of buzz words and I love that he possesses an almost hidden musical talent, the genre of which suits him so well.
The slow revelation of DC's intriguing past left me wanting to know more, however, patience is rewarded as his back story is cleverly woven in to the plots of each book.
This Police Procedural has been a real pleasure to read/listen to and I just hope there is more to come, the only drawback? It left me in a real reading slump of not being able to find another series to enjoy as much

Narrated by Gildart Jackson who is a perfect fit for the job, he makes a brilliant DC, one nitpick point is I couldn't understand why he would use the American pronunciation of "booey" rather than the English "bouy", that did seem odd!

More details https://www.petergrainger.com/

Audiobooks via my library and Audible Australia (Self purchased)

Author Peter Grainger
Narrator Gildart Jackson
Publisher Tantor Audio
6 hours 52 minutes

The Night Visitor: Lucy Atkins 3 Stars

Saturday, 29 July 2017

The Night Visitor
Author: Lucy Atkins
Paperback
Published: May 20th 2017
ISBN: 9781786482181
Publisher: Hachette Australia
Publishers Summary
Professor Olivia Sweetman has worked hard to achieve the life she loves, with a high-flying career as a TV presenter and historian, three children and a talented husband. But as she stands before a crowd at the launch of her new bestseller she can barely pretend to smile. Her life has spiralled into deceit and if the truth comes out, she will lose everything.
Only one person knows what Olivia has done. Vivian Tester is the socially awkward sixty-year-old housekeeper of a Sussex manor who found the Victorian diary on which Olivia's book is based. She has now become Olivia's unofficial research assistant. And Vivian has secrets of her own.
As events move between London, Sussex and the idyllic South of France, the relationship between these two women grows more entangled and complex. Then a bizarre act of violence changes everything.
Review
Olivia, the history professor, sees a flyer that reads:

“The Real Diary of a Victorian Lady!
…. a sensational diary, handed down through one family. On short term loan by Lady Catherine Burley of Ileford Manor”

Curious, and on the lookout for some inspiration for writing a new book, Olivia visits the museum where the diary is held on loan, there she meets the taciturn and surly looking Vivian Tester, housekeeper to Lady Burley. She gets to read the diary, she can barely contain her excitement when she realises that this is it, her new book!

Vivian makes herself invaluable to Olivia during her writing process, Olivia wants to milk all the information that she can from Vivian but she does not want her as her friend.
Neither seems to like the other much, the two women work together in an uneasy and slightly unfriendly way.
Both women seem a bit odd, Olivia is perpetually stressed by family problems, she needs money badly, hence the importance of writing a best seller, and she is also haunted by the belief that she has a stalker.

Vivian is a complex character, she seems to care that Olivia shuns her friendship yet she herself never displays a friendly manner towards Olivia.

I did enjoy this book … eventually, but I found it to be a really slow starter, everything is such a slow burn and I often felt that I was being manipulated into thinking that something awful was about to happen only to be let down because the creepily written build up led to something mundane.

It isn’t until towards the end of the book that the storyline begins to crackle and gather pace, and though a tad predictable in places it does have a very unpredictable ending.
Paperback copy provided by Hachette Books Australia for unbiased review

Dregs: Jørn Lier Horst

Monday, 10 July 2017

Dregs
Author: Jørn Lier Horst
Series: William Wisting Mystery
Publisher: Affirm Press
March 2017 (Australia)
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 9781925475500
Translated by Anne Bruce

Publishers Summary
Chief Inspector William Wisting is an experienced policeman familiar with the dark side of human nature. He lives in challenging times for the Norwegian police force, meeting them with integrity and humanity, and a fragile belief that he can play a part in creating a better world. Dregs begins with a police report giving the place and time of the discovery of a training shoe washed up on the sand, containing a severed foot. Soon a second shoe is washed up, but it is another left foot. What is the explanation for this? Has there been some kind of terrible accident at sea? Does it indicate the killing and dismembering of two victims? Is there a link with the unsolved mystery of a number of disappearances in the Larvik area in recent months? In this gripping police procedural, Wisting gradually gets to the bottom of the mystery with the help of his all too human colleagues and his journalist daughter, Line.

Review
I’m always excited at the prospect of finding a new crime mystery series and was happy to come across the William Wisting books by Jørn Lier Horst.
However, it was not until I had this book in my hand that I realised that this is not, in fact, the first in the series but the sixth, it is though the first to be translated from the Norwegian.
I’m not sure of the logic behind that decision but I’m happy to say that I didn’t feel too short changed, nevertheless, a brief account of the back story would have been much appreciated.

William Wisting is middle aged Police Inspector, he has an adult daughter who works as a journalist, and he has a girlfriend. He neglects his health so is not as fit as he ought to be, he has a few quirks, but not so many as to make him one of those deeply flawed police officers that we come across in some types of crime fiction.

William Wisting and his team are investigating the mystery surrounding the discovery of a second severed foot washed up on a beach, it doesn’t match the first foot so accident is ruled out. To deepen the mystery further, more severed feet get washed up.
As four people have gone missing from the area, the team must investigate the possibility of these two incidents being related. Their investigation leads them to some very unexpected places and to some very interesting characters.

This is a police procedural at its best, it is intriguing, credible, well plotted and flows beautifully and I loved the way the author meshed the parallel stories of Wisting and his daughter Line.
There’s plenty here to keep the reader turning those pages in anticipation, and if you love a good British police procedural then I highly recommend the William Wisting series.

Review copy supplied by Affirm Press

About The Author

Jørn Lier Horst (born in Bamble, Telemark 1970) is a former Senior Investigating Officer at the Norwegian police force. He made his literary debut as a crime writer in 2004 and is now considered one of the foremost Nordic crime writers. His William Wisting series of crime novels has been extremely successful, having sold more than 500,000 copies world wide. Dregs is the first book translated into English in this addictive series. The next book, Closed for Winter, won Norway’s Booksellers’ Prize in 2012 and was shortlisted for the Riverton Prize. His latest novel, The Hunting Dogs, won both the prestigious Golden Revolver, for best Norwegian crime, and The Glass Key, which widened the scope to best crime fiction in all the Nordic countries, in 2013. (source: Affirm Press)

Match Up: Edited by Lee Child

Tuesday, 20 June 2017

Match Up

Editor: Lee Child

Multiple Authors

Genre: Crime Fiction

Paperback RRP $29.99

ISBN 9780751569025

Publication Date: June 13th 2017

Published by Hachette Australia

Publishers Summary

MATCH UP pairs up twenty-two of your favourite crime writers and their iconic characters in this unique short-story collection.Match Up - a brand new collaboration between the world's famous crime writers. Edited be international bestseller Lee Child, this exclusive page-turning anthology promises the same thrills and chills brought to you by the previous collection, Face Off.

Review

In the introduction Lee Child explains the reason for writing and producing these collections. The International Thriller Writers association (ITA) charges no fee for membership, instead, income is generated by the members producing anthologies of short crime stories. Beginning with Thriller (2006) edited by James Patterson, since then several more have been produced over the years.

Face Off (2014) was the first to pair off authors, and now Match Up pairs up a male and a female author.

What makes this book even more interesting is that each story is preceded by the editors notes on the writing processes of each pair of authors.

I dove straight in and chose to read the Kathy Reichs and Lee Child story “Faking a Murderer” featuring Temperance Brennan and Jack Reacher.

I don’t usually read short stories, for some reason thinking that they might be less satisfying than a full length novel, but, happily, I was wrong as each story is engrossing and very enjoyable.

This is a collection of well written short stories, and provides a wonderful way to discover both new authors and new crime fighters!

Highly recommended.

Review copy provided by Hachette Australia

The Dry: Jane Harper, 5 stars

Tuesday, 7 March 2017

The Dry

Written by: Jane Harper

Narrated by: Steve Shanahan

Length: 9 hrs and 37 mins

Unabridged Audiobook

U.S. Publisher: Macmillan Audio

ISBN: 9781250117632

Australian Publisher: Wavesound Audio

Publishers Summary:

After getting a note demanding his presence, Federal Agent Aaron Falk arrives in his hometown for the first time in decades to attend the funeral of his best friend, Luke. Twenty years ago when Falk was accused of murder, Luke was his alibi. Falk and his father fled under a cloud of suspicion, saved from prosecution only because of Luke’s steadfast claim that the boys had been together at the time of the crime. But now more than one person knows they didn’t tell the truth back then, and Luke is dead.

Amid the worst drought in a century, Falk and the local detective question what really happened to Luke. As Falk reluctantly investigates to see if there’s more to Luke’s death than there seems to be, long-buried mysteries resurface, as do the lies that have haunted them. And Falk will find that small towns have always hidden big secrets.

A bit more about the book .....

Some twenty years after being hounded out of Kiewarra, Aaron Falk is back, summoned by a note from Gerry Hadler, the father of his old friend Luke.

The note read:

“Luke lied, you lied. Be at the funeral”

Review

Apart from being uniquely Australian, there is definitely something a bit special about this book.

The writing, whilst not flowery, is beautifully descriptive, easy to read with not a wasted word.

There are no blazing blue lights, wailing sirens or high octane action to drive this story, it is all about the characters, the narrative and the search for secrets.

Some of the characters are not quite as they first seem, but the truth of their lives is divulged in an enticingly measured manner. This leads the reader to doubt their true natures, one minute you are trusting someone and the next you find yourself feeling a bit mistrustful, even of Falk himself.

This is an outstanding, satisfying read.

The audiobook is narrated by Steven Shanahan, an Australian voice-over artist with a really easy on the ear voice and accent.

His style is so very different to that of other narrators in that he seems mainly to use one voice, however, subtle nuances of tone, rhythm plus little vocal sound effects do identify the characters. Very clever!

Whatever his technique is, it certainly works, as it feels just like someone sitting down with you and telling you a story, a more intimate style which works perfectly for The Dry.

I don’t know who picks narrators but I think author Jane Harper must be absolutely thrilled with whoever chose Steve Shanahan. I'm hoping he will be narrating more audiobooks.

An outstanding story, an excellent narrator and a high quality recording, what more could you want?

Review copy provided by Macmillan Audio

Last word

Yes, this prize winning debut novel by Jane Harper certainly lives up to the hype. In fact the story of how the book came about is a pretty incredible story in itself, well worth visiting her website to find out. Take a look at The Road to Publication (bottom of page) Here

Huntsman = a spider, a very, very large spider as big as handspan, luckily it is harmless!

Ute = Utility vehicle known elsewhere as a pick-up truck

Shadow over the Fens: by Joy Ellis

Friday, 10 February 2017

Shadow over the Fens: DI Nikki Galena Series, Book 2
Author Joy Ellis
Narrated by Henrietta Meire
Publication date Dec 27, 2016
Running time 7 hrs 22 min
Publisher: Tantor Audio
4 Stars

Publishers Summary
Detective Nikki Galena’s friend and neighbour meets a tragic end but there’s more to his death than meets the eye . . .

And someone terrible from DS Joseph Easter’s past is back . . .
A man is found executed on a piece of wasteland in Greenborough town. The cold-blooded murder triggers terrible memories for DS Joseph Easter.
Just when things seemed to be going well for DS Easter, he realises that the nightmare is coming back, threatening his career, his sanity, and maybe his life.
In a breath-taking conclusion even Nikki begins to doubt DS Easter as he faces a race against time to save someone very close to him.
Review
This second book follows straight on from the first, Nikki Galena and Joe Easter now are working together in the Fens area.
When Nikki’s neighbour, Martin Durham, calls by her cottage one day he offers to slap a coat of paint on her garden gate. Next thing she knows is that Martin, acting like a crazed man, careers up the steps of the church tower and jumps off to his death. Nikki does not accept that he took his own life despite it being the obvious conclusion, she decides to dig around to see what she can uncover …

The sight of a murder victim shocks Joe Easter almost beyond words, he fears his old nemesis has returned to persecute him. Meanwhile, he has met a woman who just might be the one for him …

There is a lot going on in this twisty tale, eventually the strands merge to reveal a very smart and well written plot. Plenty of action and suspense keep the reader well engaged throughout, plus there is an exciting end!

The single most impressive thing about this story for me is how well the author has developed the character of Nikki Galena. In the first book Nikki was the ubiquitous arrogant and flawed cop who always knows best, the one who always somehow avoids getting kicked off the job.
Thankfully, in this second book her character is far more realistic. She remains tough, edgy and strong but is far more believable.
I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys police procedurals with a good, twisty plot.
Narration
Narrated by Henrietta Meire who gives us an excellent performance. I thought she captured Nikki’s accent and character particularly well, brisk and to the point with a bit of attitude.
All the characters are well differentiated which is pretty important when listening to a story.
Her voice is pleasing to the ear and has good rhythm and cadence.
Excellent recording quality.
Review copy provided by Tantor Audio

Turbo Twenty Three: Janet Evanovich: 5 stars

Tuesday, 7 February 2017

Author: Janet Evanovich
Series: Stephanie Plum
ISBN: 9781472201690
ISBN-10: 1472201698
Genre: humour, crime fiction
Publisher: Headline Publishing Group
Pub. Date: 15th November 2016
Source: Hachette Australia
Series: Stephanie Plum
Summary (excerpt)
Larry Virgil skipped out on his latest court date after he was arrested for hijacking an eighteen-wheeler full of premium bourbon. Fortunately for bounty hunter Stephanie Plum, Larry is just stupid enough to attempt almost the exact same crime again. Only this time he flees the scene, leaving behind a freezer truck loaded up with Bogart ice cream and a dead body—frozen solid and covered in chocolate and chopped pecans.
Review
If you have read everything in this series thus far then, like me, you are a huge fan of Stephanie Plum and her crazy family and weird friends.

You will also know that not a lot changes, I love that! I love that I can depend on Lula to keep tossing out those hilarious one liners. I love that Grandma Mazur continues to act outrageously whilst poking her nose into everyones business. I love that Rex still lives happily in his soup can, and, of course, I love that Stephanie can never quite resolve her love life.

Did you know though that there is a subversive movement out there?
Oh yes, there is a group of renegade readers who want the characters to change, evolve, move on. Have you ever heard of such a thing?

They want Grandma to age, indeed, some even suggest that she should indulge in her favourite pastime of attending “viewings” with herself in the starring role!!
They even question Rex’s continued existence! Why can’t they just leave him to his happy wheel and soup can, what has he ever done to them?

As for Stephanie, they actually want her to finally choose between Ranger and Morelli! What sort of story would it be without that nail biting saga?
What changes I wonder would they impose upon dear Lula? Swap her four sizes too small Spandex for a nice little bank clerk outfit? Wash out her mouth?
Ignore them I say! Ignore them all. I want my Stephanie Plum stories to continue in the same way as always, I want to open each new book in the certain knowledge that I shall be magnificently and happily entertained.
Afterthought
Ah yes, my review of Turbo Twenty Three, well, I’m pretty sure, faithful reader, that all your expectations will be totally fulfilled, just as mine were.
Review copy provided by Hachette Australia

A Man with One of Those faces: Caimh McDonnell 5 STARS

Friday, 23 September 2016

Author: Caimh McDonnell

Paperback: 332 pages

Publisher: McFori Ink (August 27, 2016)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0995507503

ISBN-13: 978-0995507500

Source McFori Ink/via NetGalley

Genre: Humorous Crime

5 STARS

Publishers Summary

A darkly comic Irish crime thriller.

The first time somebody tried to kill him was an accident.

The second time was deliberate.

Now Paul Mulchrone finds himself on the run with nobody to turn to except a nurse who has read one-too-many crime novels and a renegade copper with a penchant for violence. Together they must solve one of the most notorious crimes in Irish history . . .

. . . or else they’ll be history.

Review

I loved this book! It appeared without the usual publishers’ fanfare and hyperbole of many a lesser book and so I feel lucky to have come across such a gem.

Now,

a bit about our hero…

Paul Mulchrone is twenty-eight years old and “five foot nine of sheer ordinariness”. He is a man whose only friend seems to be Mickey, the delivery driver for a Chinese takeaway, The Oriental Palace which proudly boasts of an in-dining area (with ambience).

Pauls Great Aunt Fidelma, whom he’d only met twice and didn’t much like, died and left everything to the donkey sanctuary. She didn’t forget Paul though, he was to be allowed to live in her house and was to receive 500 euros a month - with conditions!

1: He could live there until he found gainful employment

2:He must not get into any trouble with the law and

3: In order to improve himself he must undertake six hours of charitable work each week, to be monitored by Mr. Greevy of Greevy and Co. solicitors.

When Paul learned of these conditions he determined that, just to spite Aunt Fidelma, he would live off her 500 euros forever - hence he lived a very frugal life!

…and now just a little bit about the story

We meet up with Paul at the hospice where he is carries out his charitable duties; he becomes whatever the confused patient wants him to be, son, nephew, grandson, Paul didn’t mind.

He was about to go home and was wanting Nurse Brigit Conroy to sign his work note when she asked him a for favour, Nurse Brigit has a bit of a mouth on her and despite having worked five minutes overtime that week Paul found her to be a woman who was difficult to refuse.

The old fella she wanted him visit mistakes Paul for someone else, someone he obviously disliked because, with the last of the strength left in his body he attacked and stabbed Paul in the shoulder. At the hospital Dr. Sinha, trying to cheer up Paul tells him that being stabbed is better than being shot, and how much nicer it was to be stabbed by someone you didn’t know rather than by someone you did know, as that wouldn’t be very nice at all.

Before long it became apparent that somebody somewhere thought that Paul knew something about something, and for that he must be taken out.

Paul had no idea what that ‘something’ might be.

Not having much faith in D.I. Jimmy Stewart and his sidekick Wilson to protect them, Paul and Nurse Brigit go on the run.

Somewhere along the way the awful police officer Bunny McGarry intrudes himself into the case, Paul having been “one of his boys” in his hurling team from way back, justified Bunnys poking his nose in to everything.

Paul and Nurse Brigit are given temporary shelter by Dorothy, who believes that Paul is her grandson Gregory. In an effort to remain ladylike, Dorothy transposes the first letter of every cuss word with an “m”, so “muckin’and “ munt” appear quite frequently.

Eventually their hideout is discovered and that is when the real adventure begins, Nurse Brigit, whose only experience of crime is from watching the telly is secretly thrilled to be involved, she decides they must investigate. That is, until it gets really dangerous!

This is humorous crime at its finest, droll, witty and highly entertaining. The characters are well fleshed out and engaging - wait ’til you meet the very pregnant Nora Stokes, Pauls solicitor. - What a Woman!

The writing is skilled and captivating, I am eagerly awaiting the next book.

Review copy provided byMcFori Ink via NetGalley