police procedural / Audiobook and Book Reviews by Audiothing

police procedural

Showing posts with label police procedural. Show all posts

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)

Dead Like Me: Kelly Miller

Monday, 17 April 2017

Dead Like Me: A Detective Kate Springer Mystery, Book 1

Written by: Kelly Miller

Narrated by: Angel Clark

Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins

Unabridged Audiobook

Release Date:02-13-17

Publisher: Kelly Miller

Summary

On edge after a two-week mandatory leave, Homicide Detective Kate Springer is blindsided when she discovers she shares a link with Tampa's newest murder victim. A troubled teen is found strangled and dumped in a remote part of town. The bond between them threatens to expose Detective Springer's past, a past she's been hell-bent on keeping secret. When the killer finally emerges from the shadows, Kate's secrets aren't the only thing on the line. So is her life.

Review

Content warning: this story deals with child abuse which may distress some readers.

Detective Kate Springer is seeing a police psychologist, ostensibly because of her involvement in a shooting incident. However, as time goes by, Kates childhood secrets, so carefully hidden in deep her mind, begin to emerge.

When called to a crime scene Kate gets a real shock when she first looks at the body of the young girl because she bears such a strong resemblance to herself at that age.

The investigating team pull in several men to assist with their murder inquiries and when Kate, by chance, sees one of them being interviewed, she is horrified, he is like a ghost risen from her secret past.

How will she cope? Can she maintain her outward composure when all the time her mind is trying to make sense of this awful situation?

This story contains some interesting characters, Kates work partner Patrick Jessop is the perfect foil for Kate with her funny little ways. They get along quite well but that doesn’t prevent Kate from hiding her secrets from him. Her relationship with her therapist is interesting too, I can see this being built upon in future books.

Though quite gripping and fast moving for the most part, it did seem as if certain parts were being read straight from a text book, particularly the information regarding alcoholism, for me, this somewhat intruded on the flow of the story.

I’m not usually too keen on the psychologically damaged, kick ass type of character in books, but must say, that Kate, despite her flaws, comes off as far more interesting than most.

I have made a couple of negative comments but I really did enjoy the story and would happily read more about Kate Springer, I’m sure this will be a successful series.

Ah yes, just one more thing, I’m sure all us frumpier RNs didn’t take too much offence!

Narrated by Angel Clarke who is a seasoned performer with several audiobooks under her belt. Her experience shines through, I loved her as Kelly in particular.

Angel brings a vitality to the characters, but a little too much at times I thought as couple of female voices were just a tad over animated for my taste.

Audiobook provided by the author in return for an unbiased review

The Trespasser 4 STARS

Wednesday, 23 November 2016

The Trespasser

Series: Dublin Murder Squad 6

Author: Tana French

Imprint: Hachette Australia: October 2016

ISBN: 9781444755626

Page Count: 469

4 Stars

Publishers Summary

Antoinette Conway, the tough, abrasive detective from The Secret Place, is still on the Murder squad, but only just.

She's partnered up with Stephen Moran now, and that's going well - but the rest of her working life isn't.

Antoinette doesn't play well with others, and there's a vicious running campaign in the squad to get rid of her. She and Stephen pull a case that at first looks like a slam-dunk lovers' tiff, but gradually they realise there's more going on: someone on their own squad is trying to push them towards the obvious solution, away from nagging questions. They have to work out whether this is just an escalation in the drive to get rid of her-or whether there's something deeper and darker going on.

Review

Conway and Moran catch the call for a case that at first glance appears to be a straightforward act of domestic violence gone bad.

The victim is Aislinn Murray, picture perfect even in death, so pretty that Conway likens her to “dead Barbie”.

As she takes a long look at her face, Conway has the strange feeling that she has met Aislinn, that she had asked for Conway's help, but capturing that memory proved elusive, she filed it away in her head to examine later.

Everything in Aislinn’s perfect little cottage seemed to set up for an intimate dinner for two, table set, food in the oven, vegetables prepared. Her phone messages to her friend confirmed that yes, she was expecting a guest who, of course, was nowhere in sight.

Two little details caused Conway and Moran to believe it may be more than the result of a domestic argument gone awry. There were indicators that the scene had been altered, someone had gone to the trouble of thoroughly cleansing the cottage, and they had even turned off the oven at the main power point for no obvious reason. Nobody does that.

When they speak to Lucy, Aislinn’s girlfriend, she responds in a manner which doesn’t really match the circumstances, so that is a bit weird too.

They visit Rory, the expected dinner guest, who, because of the circumstances plus his social ineptitude, more or less sets himself up as prime suspect.

This looks like it might turn in to their very first juicy, proper murder case. Conway and Moran are at the bottom of the pecking order as far as case allocation goes, so Conway can’t help but think of this as being the long awaited big break.

However, here’s the rub, as backup they have been allocated Detective Breslin, a smooth operator with whom Conway has issues. Her fear is that Breslin will take over, strangely, he doesn’t, instead, he is oddly helpful at first. It soon becomes obvious though that he wants to nail Rory for the murder in spite of the reservations held by Conway and Moran.

Soon Conway is discovering/imaging all the ways in which Breslin is manipulating her. Moran is the voice of reason, so reasonable in fact that Conway isn’t so sure about him either.

Now anyone who has read the series so far will know that while the author might well be providing clues for the reader, like a good mystery writer should, she is also, in many little ways, leading us up the garden path, this makes for an enjoyable and challenging mystery.

What I did not enjoy so much:

Conway is the ubiquitous damaged cop, a character much loved by many but the concept is wearing a bit thin for me. My goodness though, she is horrible. She sure lets us know that she is one angry woman! Nasty and vindictive with it, she tells us that as a kid she held her temper until the offending child was well within sights before she unleashed her vengeance upon them. This is her way.

Blame for her personality is heaped upon her mother for 1: bearing a mixed race child (Conway) and 2: making up stories about the father she never knew.

Then when she joined the Dublin Murder Squad they all hated her because she was a woman; she was not pure white in colour and, when a colleague slapped her bum she physically injured him. They played dirty tricks on her and did all they could to edge her out. The sort of behaviour that, in truth, hasn't been witnessed in the police force since the 1960s. Still, I have to remember, this IS fiction.

I got a bit tired of her endlessly baying her troubles to the moon but I must say, her large vocabulary enabled her to do so in the most poetic of ways-with her way with words she ought really to have been a writer.

(I have to say though that towards the end of the book she does seem to be waking up to and recognising her awful ways).

Conway prides herself on her interview techniques, choosing from an array of personas to match the interviewee, I think a bit more “cool girl” in the squad room might have saved her from plenty of the grief dished out by her colleagues.

As if those interrogation scenes weren’t endless enough then the rehash of every word said, every nuance noticed and every thought ever thunk must surely be enough to satisfy the greediest of word gobblers.

To sum up:

A great story and engaging mystery that took too long to tell, its the engaging mystery and satisfying ending that earns this book 4 stars.

Review copy provided by Hachette Australia - thanks.

Guilty as Sin

Saturday, 23 July 2016

Written by: Adam Croft
Narrated by: Nigel Patterson
Length: 2 hrs and 53 mins
Series: Knight & Culverhouse, Book 2
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:07-06-16
Publisher: Adam Croft
3 Stars
Publishers Summary
When 17-year-old Danielle Levy goes missing, DS Wendy Knight and DCI Jack Culverhouse believe they have a routine case on their hands. Later, when a prominent local businessman is found dead in his warehouse, however, the case takes a whole new disturbing turn as Knight and Culverhouse begin to unravel the connections between the two cases, which leads to a dark and disturbing secret.
©2011 Adam Croft (P)2016 Adam Croft
Review
Guilty as Sin is the second book in the Knight and Culverhouse series, the author provides just enough back story for this to be a standalone read.
I thought the opening was promising and the idea for the plot interesting, but what could have been a big story just fell short of the mark for me.
I enjoyed some of the characters but I'm not sure about Wendy, it didn't seem right to me that the police force would have allowed her to return to such a responsible position so soon after suffering such horrific personal traumas.
It was a bit too gory for me but that is just a personal opinion, if you don't mind a bit of gore there is a very good murder scene!
For me there was just too much going on for such a short book, and it lacked polish but it was worth reading for the twist at the end.
Narrator
Excellent narration by Nigel Patterson, I like his voice, so easy to listen to and he is so good at accents. His characters are all so believable and realistic, a pleasure to listen to.
Audiobook provided by the author, narrator or publisher in return for an unbiased review

Hill House: Harry Starke 3

Tuesday, 14 June 2016

Written by: Blair Howard
Narrated by: Tom Lennon
Length: 8 hrs
Series: Harry Starke, Book 3
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:02-24-16
Publisher: Blair Howard
5 STARS
Publishers Summary (extract)
For more than ten years, she lay beneath the floorboards of Hill House. For more than ten years, she waited. Who was she? Who put her there? Why? Harry Starke vows to find the answers to those questions, but to do so he must embark upon an investigation that will put him and those close to him in deadly danger, take him deep into the underground city, the Dark Web, murder, organized crime, prostitution, and human trafficking.
©2015 Blair Howard (P)2016 Blair Howard
Review
The beginning of this book is very atmospheric and just a little bit dark and it hooked me in straight away. Hill House was about to be demolished, some young fellas go in to help themselves to the floorboards hoping to make a bit of money by selling them. A grisly discovery is made. A body is found under the boards. The body has been there for some time and doesn't fit any of the missing persons descriptions.
They find out that the old house was once a shelter for young people, but it's not as simple as tracing the owners. The investigations lead Harry and the police into some very disturbing situations involving some very dark and disturbing people. Yet even these people aren't quite as they seem.
Harry comes up against an old adversary and things get violent, he is upset because his work has put his staff at risk of injury or worse. The way he deals with this particular situation gives us some real hard boiled "Harry Starke" moments, quite hair raising at times.
Harry continues to work well with his former girlfriend the police officer Kate and I really enjoy the way she treats him, as usual, Harrys love life is perplexing him, he continues to get himself into some awkward "romantic" situations. There are some wonderfully witty interactions between Kate and Harrys newer interest, Amanda, and in this book, Amanda really steps up to the mark maybe compensating for her past mischief making.
Each one of the Harry Starke novels has a unique plot and can from that point of view be read as a standalone, but I would recommend reading them all so as to get to know the characters. It's not essential, I know, but I've enjoyed following the Kate and Amanda situation evolve, and I'm also very interested in the characters who make up Harrys staff, in each book these characters have been fleshed out a little more.
The author has given his readers yet another excellent story.
Narrator
Another riveting performance by Tom Lennon who is, in my opinion, the perfect Harry. He gives each character a distinct and easily identifiable voice, something which is so important to the listener. I look forward to many more Harry Starke adventures
Audiobook provided by the narrator, publisher or author in return for an honest review.

The Strings of Murder

Saturday, 28 May 2016

Written by: Oscar de Muriel
Narrated by: Andy Secombe
Length: 11 hrs and 28 mins
Series: Frey & McGray, Book 1
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:02-12-15
Publisher: Penguin Books Limited
4 STARS
Publishers Summary
Penguin presents the unabridged downloadable audiobook edition of The Strings of Murder by Oscar de Muriel, read by Andy Secombe, including musical interludes recorded by the author himself.
Edinburgh, 1888. A virtuoso violinist is brutally killed in his home. But with no way in or out of the locked practice room, the murder makes no sense. Fearing a national panic over a copycat Ripper, Scotland Yard sends Inspector Ian Frey to investigate under the cover of a fake department specializing in the occult.
However, Frey's new boss, Detective Nine-Nails McGray, actually believes in such nonsense.
McGray's tragic past has driven him to superstition, but even Frey must admit this case seems beyond reason. And once someone loses all reason, who knows what they will lose next...
©2015 Oscar de Muriel (P)2015 Penguin Books Limited
Review
If you want a mystery that's a bit different, a bit dark a tad gory but quite humorous in parts, then this one should fit the bill.
Inspector Ian Frey, being a touch arrogant in nature and supercilious in manner, is not the most likeable of men. To the dismay of his well to do family he had tried and disliked the study of both medicine and law finally deciding on a career as a detective. A job he is actually quite good at and, having solved one high profile case, he is more convinced than ever of his superior intellect.
Everything is going well, until, due to some political manoeuvres, he finds himself on the verge of losing his job unless he agrees to travel to Edinburgh to solve a very strange case. To his chagrin he finds himself subordinate to Detective Nine-Nails McGray. Poor Frey finds everything north of the border to be terribly offensive to his fine sensibilities - and is not afraid to say so. McGray though is having none of his fancy ways, nor are the house servants, in fact not even the dog shows any respect for him or his fine clothes.
The interactions between Frey and McGray provide the humour, yet there is a serious locked room mystery going on here, Frey takes his usual pragmatic and systematic approach to the investigation, at least, he tries to. Yet on more than one occasion he finds McGrays insistence on following a more unusual path to be both enraging and beyond belief. As past tragedies unfold and the present mysteries are revealed, the two men earn the grudging respect of the other.
Despite a bit of a shaky start when I didn't quite understand what was going on, all did become clear and the beginning fitted the end very well. Some of the characters did stretch my credibility a little, but this only added to my overall enjoyment of this entertaining story. The short violin interludes helped create a chilling atmosphere for this thoroughly enjoyable audiobook.
Narrator
Andy Secombe did a pretty good job of all those accents, the only voice I didn't much care for was that of the crazy girl from the past, I found her just a bit over the top. I loved how he captured the pomposity of some of the political characters and how he somehow managed to seamlessly change those voices from pompous to obsequious when they were in the presence of the Prime Minister. All of the characters were clearly defined, especially enjoyable was the supercilious Frey. The pace and rhythm of the reading matched the story well.
This audiobook was provided by the author, publisher or narrator in return for an honest review.

Torch Ginger

Friday, 4 March 2016

Written by: Toby Neil

Narrated: by Sara Malia Hatfield

Length: 9 hours 6 minutes

Series: Lei Crime Book 2

Unabridged Audiobook

Published by Audible Studios

Release date: 11/11/14

Available from Audible

5 STAR REVIEW

Publishers Summary

If J.D. Robb's In Death series went on location with Kaui Hart Hemmings's The Descendants, you'd have Toby Neal's Torch Ginger.

The island of Kaua'i is remote jungle, golden beaches, and ancient culture - but transients are disappearing in paradise, and only Detective Lei Texeira notices. Lei transfers to the island of Kaua'i, where she uncovers a pattern of disappearances that may be related to a bizarre cult - or is it just one madman at work? In Lei's world, everyone is guilty until proven innocent. In the midst of the biggest case sleepy Kaua'i has ever seen, Lei must also untangle the mysteries of her heart and discover who she loves.

My Review

I didn't read the first in the series, "Blood Orchids" but there is enough back story in "Torch Ginger" to ensure the reader doesn't feel bewildered by how and why Lei finds herself now working on Kaua'i.

Lei is the new girl, low in the pecking order and as such, gets all the boring jobs. She is working hard to fit in but after only two months on an island described as "a jungle paradise of secretive people and strange spiritual forces" Lei is finding life to be "slow and boring".

It's while plodding her way through one of her dull cases that Lei is asked to talk to Kelly Waterson, Kelly reports her boyfriend Jay as missing. It has only been 24 hours since she last spoke to him by 'phone, but the circumstances catch Leis attention. When a worried Kelly flew in and visited Pine Trees, the unofficial camp site, she discovered Jays belongings dumped in the rubbish bin. His wallet still held his credit cards and also some strange origami shapes, three stones were left on his shoe.

Now the story really begins! During the course of her investigation she meets many strange and intriguing characters and she becomes convinced that the disappearances aren't merely people who have simply taken themselves off the grid. Getting others to take her convictions seriously is a hard task.

There are so many threads to this story, yet they are woven skilfully to produce a story that is difficult to put down. The characters are all so well described that they seem totally believable, even the more way out types.

Mystery and intrigue abound, there is, in some characters, a sense of other worldliness which is at odds with Leis own world view.

I thought the reunion of Lei and her father beautifully written, his gentleness and his love for his daughter so sensitively described.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who loves a mystery set in a lush and exotic location and with many intriguing extras. I for one shall be reading more of Toby Neil's work.

Narrator

This is the first book I have listened to narrated by Sara Malia Hatfield, and what a wonderful voice she has. Sara has all the attributes of a good narrator, but, for this book, it took a special person to pull it off. Born and raised in Hawaii, she was the perfect choice to perform those subtle differences in accents. The more I listened the more fascinated I became by both her voice and the pidgin speak, just wonderful! I look forward to more.

Just a word about the Audible sample, should you listen to it, it in no way does justice to the audiobook, for some reason, the sample seems of lesser quality.

This audiobook was provided, without condition, by the representative of the author.

The Girl in the Ice

Monday, 15 February 2016

Publisher: Bookouture (February 12, 2016)
Publication Date: February 12, 2016
Sold by: Amazon
Language: English
ASIN: B019G6DSDE
ISBN 9781910751763
3 Star review
Excerpt from publishers summary:
"When a young boy discovers the body of a woman beneath a thick sheet of ice in a South London park, Detective Erika Foster is called in to lead the murder investigation.
The victim, a beautiful young socialite, appeared to have the perfect life. Yet when Erika begins to dig deeper, she starts to connect the dots between the murder and the killings of three prostitutes, all found strangled, hands bound and dumped in water around London."
My Review
I don't like to disagree with everyone else, but I was asked for an honest review in return for my Netgalley ARC and this is it.
The prologue, written from the victims point of view, seemed promising, full of intrigue and tension, and the anticipation of getting a good read hooked me. Sorry to say it, but for me it all went downhill from there on, my disillusionment began with Erika. Erika is the lead character and, like so many fictional female detectives, is emotionally damaged and socially inept. She resents authority and goes her own way against all orders and common sense. She is hell bent on her own theory and won't cooperate with anyone else. That her presence will engender resentment from her new colleagues pretty much goes without saying. I'm not even sure she should even have been placed in that particular setting. Would the Metropolitan Police Force, with all their resources really bring in an officer from another territory to investigate a murder? Would the officers really act in the manner portrayed? I don't think it likely, not these days but then, I'm sure the author would have used the services of a police media advisor.
There were far too many stereotypical characters for my liking, even the old prostitute is a dirty, foul mouthed, ill mannered, drug addicted woman with crooked brown teeth. The working classes and criminals are portrayed as arrogant and ill mannered because they are poor, and the are rich portrayed as arrogant and ill mannered because they are privileged.
I thought it was a real shame because the actual plot itself is quite good and that is what earns it the 3rd star. It failed for me though because the whole story ran along predictable lines, including the usual part where the protagonist finds herself facing almost certain death (and that's not a spoiler because we know it's a serial). Having said that, judging by the number of 5 stars and the gushing comments, this style of writing must be exactly what many people want to read, I'm just not one of them.
ARC provided by Netgalley and Bookouture in return for an honest review.

Gods of Gold by Chris Nickson. KINDLE EDITION

Saturday, 13 February 2016

Author: Chris Nickson

Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 982 KB
Print Length: 224 pages
Publisher: Severn House Digital; First World Publication edition (1 December 2014)
Amazon Australia Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00OERTV1O
Introducing Detective Inspector Tom Harper in a brand-new historical mystery series.
5 STARS
My Review
A great read, and I was quickly drawn in to this story, the first in the Detective Inspector Tom Harper series set in Leeds during the gas strike of 1890.
Despite the disruptions of the gas strike, Tom Harper is concerned by the disappearance of Martha, the beautiful little child of Col and Betty Parkinson, Betty is in jail so Col, a ne'er do well, tells people he'd sent Martha to stay with an aunt for a while because he couldn't care for her. Tom does not believe him and determines to find Martha. Because Martha is so young, people are more willing than usual to talk to him yet nobody seems to know anything. Then a man is murdered, he was one of many men brought in to replace the gas workers, Toms' superiors tell him he should be spending his time on that, rather than looking for Martha, but he doesn't give up on her. He eventually uncovers many fragile threads of information that lead to shocking discoveries.
It's an absorbing story with some really good characters, Tom himself was raised to a life of poverty and back breaking work but manages to break free of it by joining the police force, doing well and rising in the ranks. He comes across as a good sort, willing to give others a chance and, because of his own background he well understands that people do what they have to in order to survive. His sergeant is an interesting character too, Billy Reed, an ex military man who still suffered the effects of the war horrors he'd witnessed, Reed likes to drink, which sometimes leads to aggressive behaviour, he dislikes himself for it. I was drawn to him because it seems like he is doing his best to overcome his troubles. Then there is Annabelle, Toms' fiancée. What a woman she is, a widow with her own business she is a strong independent type and she is fascinating, I'm sure that in the future she will be stealing the limelight from Tom. All the characters in this book are so well described that it's easy to picture them.
For me, another draw is the historical aspect, the story is set during the time of the second industrial revolution, a time when industrialists were getting richer yet the poor remained poor. Chris Nickson weaves a great deal of social history into this book yet never resorts to using boring information dumps.
Be sure to read the epigraph "A New Nursery Rhyme" written by Tom Maguire, a man who died too young, aged 29.

Think of a Number Dave Gurney Book 1

Wednesday, 13 January 2016

Written by: John Verdon
Narrated by: George Newbern
Length: 13 hrs and 30 mins
Series: Dave Gurney, Book 1
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:07-06-10
Publisher: Random House Audio
Available from Audible
2 STAR REVIEW
Publishers Summary
An extraordinary fiction debut, Think of a Number is an exquisitely plotted novel of suspense that grows relentlessly darker and more frightening as its pace accelerates, forcing its deeply troubled characters to moments of startling self-revelation. Arriving in the mail over a period of weeks are taunting letters that end with a simple declaration: “Think of any number…picture it…now see how well I know your secrets.” Amazingly, those who comply find that the letter writer has predicted their random choice exactly.
For Dave Gurney, just retired as the NYPD’s top homicide investigator and forging a new life with his wife, Madeleine, in upstate New York, the letters are oddities that begin as a diverting puzzle but quickly ignite a massive serial murder investigation. What police are confronted with is a completely baffling killer, one who is fond of rhymes filled with threats and warnings, whose attention to detail is unprecedented, and who has an uncanny knack for disappearing into thin air. Even more disturbing, the scale of his ambition seems to widen as events unfold. Brought in as an investigative consultant, Dave Gurney soon accomplishes deductive breakthroughs that leave local police in awe. Yet, even as he matches wits with his seemingly clairvoyant opponent, Gurney’s tragedy-marred past rises up to haunt him, his marriage approaches a dangerous precipice, and finally, a dark, cold fear builds that he’s met an adversary who can’t be stopped.
In the end, fighting to keep his bearings amid a whirlwind of menace and destruction, Gurney sees the truth of what he’s become – what we all become when guilty memories fester – and how his wife Madeleine’s clear-eyed advice may be the only answer that makes sense.
©2005 John Verdon (P)2010 Random House
My Review
Like many Audible members with just one credit per month to spend, I choose my books carefully. This book not only has a plethora of 5 star reader reviews but has also received fulsome praise from some big name authors, here are some excerpts:

"Rarely have I read a debut novel that has gripped me as this one has from the first page to the last" .... Nelson De Mille

"John Verdon's Think of a Number is simply one of the best thrillers I've read in a lifetime of thriller reading ... eloquent, heart- rending, deeply suspenseful on many levels, and relentlessly intelligent" .... John Lescroart.

"Verdon's protagonist Dave Gurney is one for the ages, and readers everywhere will surely clamour to see this man again" .... David Baldacci.

(See full comments on the Audible page)
Yet another temptation to choose this book was the fact that it is the first in a series, and I'm always on the lookout for a good mystery series. For all that, it soon became clear that this book was not meant for me, I didn't much care for the story. It started off well enough and I was certainly grabbed by the "think of a number" conundrum, but as I listened my interest waned, and here's why: The characters, none of them seemed to be fully developed, I neither got to know or found a connection with anyone sufficient enough to either like or dislike them. Madeleine, Dave Gurneys' wife for example, who was to contribute much to the solving of the case, remained in the shadowy background having just a few sentences here and there. We were given hints of her story but I would have liked to have known more about her.
Dave, throughout the story is touted by his past colleagues as having been a top notch detective, a genius at his work, which is why I couldn't understand why it took him so very long to solve the mysteries, (because even I could) indeed, there was a huge clue early on, which had it not been missed, would have led straight to the perpetrator. It was from this point on that the story lost all credulity for me. In fact it was his wife who provided him with the wherewithal to solve these mysteries. Madeleine is, in my opinion the genius in that marraige. Parts of this story are greatly detailed, including as it does a complete psychological lecture and a few meetings which, as in real life, (therefore quite realistic) did drag on a bit thereby slowing the flow. I really wanted less talk and more action.This is a book with wonderful reviews and critical acclaim, and it's not easy for a reviewer to write of ones dissatisfaction with such a lauded work. Nevertheless, I do believe that this book is a good example of that which pleases many people doesn't please all.

Narrator
Narrated by George Newburn who has a pleasant voice but does use a similar pitch and tone for all, this made character differentiation a little hard. I found the narration somewhat inconsistent in that for most of the time he sounded a tad disinterested, he did though, show a bit of enthusiasm at times.
This is my own copy of Think of a Number purchased from Audible US

Dead Old: Book 2 Bev Morriss series

Friday, 20 November 2015

Written by: Maureen Carter

Narrated by: Clare Corbett

Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins

Unabridged Audiobook

Release Date:12-01-14

Publisher: Creative Content

Available from Audible

5 STAR REVIEW

Publishers Summary

From the author of Working Girls - A new Bev Morriss crime noveI.

Flowers are the language of love, what does it mean when a retired, elderly doctor is found dead with a bunch of daffodils callously thrust down her throat?

Murder squad detectives believe Sophia Carrington is the latest victim of a gang of teenagers who have been preying on the old and vulnerable. But Detective Sergeant Bev Morriss reads the message differently...

Squaring up against a vindictive new boss and out of line with most of her colleagues, Bev is convinced the bizarre bouquet carries a far more personal message. Just how personal, she has no idea – until the killing gets closer to home.

My Review

Back in May 2015 I reviewed the wonderfully entertaining "Working Girls", the first book in Maureen Carters D.S. Bev Morriss series. Dead Old is the second, I enjoyed the first book so much that I was a bit hesitant to start listening, I feared I'd be disappointed. I needn't have worried, this is a great story.

The book begins with Bev being called out to a case, she is not happy as it's supposedly her day off but there's no one else available. Suffering the effects of a night of heavy drinking with her friends, landing a murder investigation is the last thing she wants.

Arriving on the scene of the crime only serves to make her hangover feel much worse, an old lady lay dead, the bunch of daffodils pushed down her throat proving that this was no accident. At first glance Sophia Carrington appears to be a bag lady, but she is, in fact, a retired doctor.

There are some dark and disturbing aspects to the plot and normally I don't find this good reading but Maureen Carter lightens it with little sprinkles of humour. I also enjoy her ability to describe her characters so well, especially Bev's mum, described as "Delia with a Dyson". Bev is temporarily living with her mother and it's driving Bev mad, when a junior colleague arrives to drive her to work, Bevs mum runs out with a packed lunch for her- in a pink Barbie lunch box! It's little touches like this that improve the readers relationship with the characters.

Another aspect of this particular story is that of the authors ability to convey the human condition such as the invisibility of the elderly, and of how it must feel to go almost unnoticed and disregarded.

I look forward to book three.

Narrator

I hadn't noticed that this book has a different narrator to the first and it was quite a shock to hear something I hadn't expected. I really dislike a change of narrator in a series, all those characters I had come to know now have different voices, completely different voices at that! However, about half way through I got used to Clare, who is a well respected and polished narrator of many books.

Once I adapted to a new reader I thoroughly enjoyed her narration, her voice is easy on the ear, very pleasant, and the pace and rhythm perfect.

The only negative is that her voice just lacked a bit of that "badass" edge, but that's merely an opinion and certainly won't stop me from listening to more of her excellent work.

This is a high quality production with not one noticeable edit, which makes it a first rate product.

Audiobook provided by Creative Content in return for an honest review

The Cold Cold Ground: The Troubles, Book One

Thursday, 30 July 2015

Written by: Adrian McKinty
Narrated by: Gerard Doyle
Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
Series: The Troubles, Book 1
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:01-11-12
Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

5 STAR REVIEW

Summary

Spring 1981. Northern Ireland. Belfast on the verge of outright civil war. The Thatcher government has flooded the area with soldiers, but nightly there are riots, bombings, and sectarian attacks.

In the midst of the chaos, Sean Duffy, a young, witty, Catholic detective in the almost entirely Protestant Royal Ulster Constabulary, is trying to track down a serial killer who is targeting gay men. As a Catholic policeman, Duffy is suspected by both sides and there are layers of complications. For one thing, homosexuality is illegal in Northern Ireland in 1981. Then he discovers that one of the victims was involved in the IRA, but was last seen discussing business with someone from the Protestant UVF (Ulster Volunteer Force).

Fast-paced, evocative, and brutal, this book is a brilliant depiction of Belfast at the height of the Troubles and a cop caught in the cross fire.

My Review

I wonder how many readers will remember those terrible times, and how many of those would have believed they would ever find themselves reading a novel about them? I sure didn't think I would, but two things drew me to this book, one was the title, "The Cold, Cold Ground", it reminded me of a song, well, two songs in fact, from way back when, one of which I liked. The second draw being Gerard Doyle, the narrator.

Sean Duffy is a little different to his colleagues at the R.U.C., he's a Catholic, he's a university graduate and he has studied psychology, he also drinks a lot. Necking vodka gimlets in pint glasses seem to be his favoured method of relaxation, I can't imagine the effect all that lime cordial had on his stomach, but hey, he's young yet! Despite their differences, he seems to get along well enough with his work colleagues, who respect his leadership, he in turn tolerates a bit of teasing here and there. The same can't be said for relationships outside of work, not only is he a Peeler, he's also seen as a bit of a traitor too, so you see, life ain't easy. Along with the booze, he relaxes by listening to his music, it was good to hear the names of those groups again.

Then come the murders, possibly a serial murderer (apparently a rarity in Ireland) was at large, killing homosexual males. Duffy got the job because he knew all the modern stuff, forensics, psychology and scene of crime protocols. Besides, there wasn't really anyone else available and they didn't want to be seen as needing help. Duffy finds a tenuous connection to another investigation, the apparent suicide of Lucy, ex wife of a hunger striker. As the story progresses he becomes convinced he has the answers, he has nothing but instinct to fuel his convictions, and fuelled they are, to the point of obsession. Duffy seems to realise he's whistling in the wind, but he can't stop himself.

The whole wonderful tale revolves not just around these murders, but the lives of the victims and survivors. This gives us a little insight as to how hard was life for those living in the midst of turmoil, and also of those who were charged with protecting them. Who had ever spared a thought to the physical difficulties of donning full riot gear, or the strain of being ever vigilant for those Mercury tilt bombs placed under cars? Adrian McKinty writes in such a way that the reader can't help but become totally immersed in the harshness of those times. Returning to reality strikes hard when you reach out for your vodka gimlet and your hand returns clutching a stubby of Boags Draught.

The wit of the dialogue is so very sharp, sometimes serving to lighten the darker moments, I thought Chief Inspector Brennan had some wonderful one liners that he'd simply fire off in the course of conversation! If you appreciate superb narrative you won't be disappointed, reading the first chapter will convince you of that. I'm happy to have discovered a new series to follow.

NARRATOR

Read by Gerard Doyle, I don't think this pairing of author and narrator could have been bettered. I can imagine him, sitting in a room, giving a reading and holding everyone spellbound with his voice and his storytelling skills. He became Sean Duffy, I could picture him perfectly, so now of course, no other narrator can ever be Sean! He differentiated all the characters clearly, male and female, all portrayed consistently, from beginning to end. If Mr. Doyle has one small failing it's this, I don't think he will ever make it big as an opera singer!

Thanks to Linc Tasmania Internet Library Services for providing the loan of this audiobook. A service for which I and all those in rural and remote areas are grateful.

Working Girls

Monday, 25 May 2015

Written by: Maureen Carter
Narrated by: Frances Barber
Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins
Unabridged Audiobook

Release Date:01-30-13

Publisher: Creative Content

Available from Audible.com.au

Book 1 in the DS Bev Morriss Series

5 Star Review

Publishers Summary

Fifteen years old…brutalised…dumped in a park…throat slashed…. Schoolgirl prostitute Michelle Lucas died in agony and terror, utterly alone. The sight breaks the heart of Sergeant Bev Morriss of West Midlands Police. She thought she was hardened, but gazing at Michelle’s pale, broken body she is consumed by a cold fury. She knows this case is different - this is the one that will push her to the edge. Plunging herself into the seedy heart of Birmingham’s vice-land she struggles to infiltrate the deadly jungle of hookers, evil pimps and violent johns.
But no one will co-operate, no one will break the wall of silence. Is it fear or guilt? When a second victim dies, Bev knows time is running out. If she is to win the trust of the working girls - she has to take the biggest, most dangerous, gamble of her life…out on the streets.
©2004 Maureen Carter (P)2012 Creative Content
My Review
It doesn't take the listener too long to realise that author Maureen Carter is a class act. As a former commercial radio journalist, B.B.C. journalist, producer and presenter (wow!) she brings all the pizzazz and sparkle of her journalistic writing skills to the world of crime fiction.
"Working Girls" is the first book of the British police procedural series starring D.S. Bev Morriss, and is set in Britains' so named second city, Birmingham. For those who may not know, Birmingham is a massive city located in the West Midlands of England.

I liked Bev Morriss' character from the very start, she is a woman working in what is still a male bastion, and in the course of her work has no doubt, been exposed to the sights of terrible crime and its awful aftermath. Yet she hasn't turned in to one of those hard hitting smart mouthed and know-it-all characters so typical of many a detective novel, no, but she is smart! Yes, she is a bit gobby, mouthy or lippy - depending on where you come from, but she knows people, and knows how to talk to them.
Shocked by the murder of young schoolgirl prostitute Michelle Lucas, Bev, against the better judgement of her superior officer, knows that to protect the girls and get the information she needs, she must join the girls on the street.

I liked the way Bev interacted with the working girls, how she somehow negotiated her way into their world simply by understanding the unspoken terms of the agreement. She knows that however much these girls grow to like her (in spite of her being a cop) ultimately, she can never trust them to tell her the whole truth and she knows why. She understands the certainty of the retaliative cruelty and violence they would suffer. Self preservation underpins their interaction with all authority, if they grass on their pimps they will suffer. Bev finds herself up against some formidable suspects, but nobody is talking.

Bev isn't inured to the horrors of murder, yet she tries hard to conceal any emotional reaction she has from the other officers in case they perceive her as being weak. The impact of the horror and the senselessness of it all seems to drive her in her need to bring justice for the victims. It is this characteristic which also makes her a little single minded in her investigations, she goes forward fearlessly, and, on occasion, a little rashly. This results in a scenario which is somewhat typical of many a female sleuth; where a lapse in using a bit of common-sense lands her in a predictably dangerous situation. I like that the author has made her fallible, she is no super sleuth, just a hard working cop getting on with the job.
On a more lighthearted note, there are also a couple of little side stories to intrigue! Maybe, just maybe, a couple of budding romances? Bev is possibly lining up a new boyfriend for the future, and is her new friend the overworked, overtired and somewhat brusque Dr. Thorne batting her eyelashes at one of Bevs colleagues?
This story is a page turner, and, despite a pretty obvious red herring or two, I thoroughly enjoyed it, it is so well written. I thought the dialogue to be spot on, and the character and location descriptions can't be beaten. As I listened, I clearly saw these people in my minds eye, the vulnerable girls, the awful all-powerful Charlie Hawes, the haughty school mistress, and I could envisage them in their surroundings, I was repelled by the dirty dinginess of Annie Flynnes kitchen, and I felt bad for some of them. Yes, I guess you could say the writing engaged me, it certainly hooked me right in to this well crafted story and I'm ready for more. I believe there are now seven novels in the D.I. Bev Morriss series, as yet only three are in audio form, we need more audiobooks!
Narrator
Narrated by Frances Barber, an Olivier award nominated actress (that's big) with a very distinguished stage and television career, therefore I expected great things! Thankfully, that's just what I got, gorgeous, easy to listen to voice, and as one would expect, perfect timing and pace. To say she does accents well is a bit of an understatement, it's no secret, people from Birmingham talk funny, really funny, (no offence) it's the famous Brummie accent, and Frances nails it. How she switches between the Brum and the Cockney with such seeming ease is pure skill. When listening to her, one doesn't have think about such things as "characterisation" and "gender changes", she just does it, just like that, with such consummate elegance that before you know it, all these characters are just conjured up for you, like magic.
This audiobook was given to me by the publisher Creative Content, in return, this is my honest review

The Kings of London ...

Thursday, 16 April 2015

Author William Shaw

Narrator Cameron Stewart

Length of play 13 hours 12 minutes

Unabridged

Available from Audible.com

21/01/15 Hachette Studios

5 Star Review

Publishers Summary

In the Swinging Sixties, a battle for the soul of the city is fought between cops and criminals, the corrupt and the corrupted.

November 1968. Judy Garland is performing drunk at the Palladium and the city of London is about to catch fire - literally. Summond to a gas explosion, Detective Sergeant Cathal Breen unearths a shocking discovery beneath the rubble: Mind-bending paintings by Bridget Riley and Peter Blake... and the garroted body of Jacob Pugh, a playboy god in the art world. With Detective Helen Tozer, Breen must infiltrate the artistic demimonde of a volatile and increasingly murderous city.

Seen through the eyes of an irresistible pair of detectives, the real London comes in view in The Kings of London: a gritty metropolis thrives in the shadows beyond the spotlights, and all manner of vice is committed in the name of liberation.

©2015 William Shaw (P)2015 Hachette Audio

My Review

The Kings of London, also published as the House of Knives, is the second book of the Breen and Tozer trilogy, and satisfyingly begins just where the first book ended. Again we are transported back to 1968, well, some of us are, the rest are taken for a visit, a wonderful visit, and given the chance to learn quite a lot about the late 60's. Me? I'm comfortable there, it's the feel good factor of the book bringing alive again the lure of London, the "In" places, Carnaby Street, Biba, Mary Quant, Op art, "England Swings", all there, in London!

Yet the story also served to remind me of the less attractive underbelly of life in the 60's, the almost taken for granted police bullying along with the untouchable attitude which led to corrupted practices. Ordinary people had no voice, that is until a generation rose up against it, but that's another story, and in the interest of fairness, there must have been a few good and right minded people running the country and enforcing the law.

The Kings of London finds Breen embroiled in a murder investigation hampered at every turn by the far reaching hand of political corruption. Of course, initially he doesn't know this, but the path he takes, the questions he asks rattle the nerves of the establishment, the victim is the estranged son of a politician. Along comes the fixer, who's job is simply to prevent any hint of scandal from reaching the ears of the public.

In the first book, A Song from Dead Lips, Breen realised that he was a bit behind the times, with the help of a thoroughly modern Helen Tozer he became acquainted with the puzzling Beatles phenomenon and also learned a bit about the women of the 60's. Even so, he remained unprepared for the weird world of art and art dealers, of drug use and of the ways of free love, so he sets about learning everything he can.

That's not all he has on his plate, someone is sending him death threats he thinks he knows who, and decides to keep quiet, to sort it out himself. He also has more than one murder to deal with, one of which changes his world, he is suspended from duty, yet this doesn't stop him in his relentless investigations.

He becomes quite friendly with a lady who keeps disappearing - more intrigue and a compelling aspect of the story.

DC Helen Tozer once again proves invaluable to Breen, she knows how to communicate with people, especially the younger ones and she succeeds where Breem often fails. She's smart, they work well together.

Meanwhile Tozers leaving date is due, she has decided she is needed at home on the farm as her dad is sick and unable to keep up with the work.

I enjoyed how along the way Breem learns more than he ever knew about his own father and mother, it highlights how bleak family relationships can be when they lack what to most of us is basic communication.

There's just so much going on, so many layers to this tale, yet the author somehow blends all the components together beautifully to produce yet another entertaining tale to captivate the listener or reader.

I'm so much looking forward to the next book.

Narrator

Once again Cameron Stewart has done the author proud, I enjoy the sound of his voice, he doesn't overdo anything. Just right, a top job.

This audiobook is my own copy purchased from Audible.com, this review is my honest opinion

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Narrator