Discover Most Popular Audiobooks in Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

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Title: Severe Clear

Subtitle: A Stone Barrington Novel, Book 24

Author: Stuart Woods

Narrator: Tony Roberts

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 38 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-18-12

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 438 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Stone Barrington is called to Bel-Air to oversee an exclusive event that will gather the top echelons of the beau monde: Hollywood starlets, socialites, politicos, billionaires from overseas. Its a task in which Stone has a personal stake, and one that is made all the more pleasurable - though somewhat more complicated - with the arrivals of two beautiful women with whom hes intimately acquainted.

But the grand occasion has also attracted a dangerous criminal group with sinister plans. The hunt to find them leads Stone into a complex web of deceit and misdirection, in a world where the intrigues of government intelligence collide with the clandestine machinations of the upper crust.

As he draws nearer to his quarry, he realizes that the stakes are higher than anybody could ever imagine...and that the enemies hes seeking might just be hiding in plain sight.

Members Reviews:

Less Stone and Dino, more crap about the Wealthy

Any additional comments?

It seems Stuart Woods is drifting away from Stone Barrington. These books are more and more about peripheral characters and less and less about Stone and Dino. It's not the same and not what I buy the books for. They were never anything but fairly simplistic, but I enjoyed them for their escapist value. Now, with Woods concentrating on everything but Stone, including characters that were formerly the objects of derision (like Herbie Fisher who now has to be called Herb and who Woods has made into a younger version of Stone), I am close to not getting any more of them. If the next one is like this, I'm done.

Amaturish

I find my self in the unwanted position of not not knowing who to recommending this book to. It doesn't fit into the mystery or the thriller category. Stuart Woods is a great author but his dipping a toe into the technothriller realm is not successful.

He should have created a character within the Barrington novels and started another series with an occasional cameo by Stone.

Leave Stone as a semi-cop lawyer

Definately not Stone at his best!

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Narration wonderful as always-story not well developed, sketchy, found myself for the first time not really caring if Stone won or not!

Which character as performed by Tony Roberts was your favorite?

Stone, as always!

Glorifies characters too much, too little story

What would have made Severe Clear better?

Get to the meat of the story

Has Severe Clear turned you off from other books in this genre?

No.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Tony Roberts?

Roberts is OK, but just average

You didnt love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Once he got to the story, it was fine.

Any additional comments?

No

Stone should stick to being an attorney!

Woods' writing style and Roberts' narrative style are both plodding. Even this plot, which should have had me in suspense, did not. After 24 books starring Stone Barrington I am not going to abandon him but I am growing tired of listening to uneventful stories. Stone is not aging well with me! If this were the first book one read with these characters I cannot imagine reading a second.

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Title: Bones Are Forever

Subtitle: A Temperance Brennan Novel, Book 15

Author: Kathy Reichs

Narrator: Linda Emond

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-28-12

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 732 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Kathy Reichs, number-one New York Times best-selling author and producer of the Fox hit series Bones, is at her brilliant best in a riveting novel featuring forensic anthropologist Tempe Brennan - a story of infanticide, murder, and corruption set in the high-stakes, high-danger world of diamond mining.

Temperance Brennan has been asked to examine the corpses of three dead babies in Montreal. Its a difficult assignment, complicated further by the fact that her long-time flame Detective Ryan is investigating the infants mother, a former (and possibly current) prostitute. When the woman flees to Edmonton, the investigation is joined by Royal Canadian Mounted Police sergeant with whom Tempe had an ill-advised fling over a decade earlier. The dissonant team heads to remotest Yellowknife - mining country - to pursue an ever more sinister trail.

With the Fox series Bones in its seventh season and her popularity at its broadest ever, Kathy Reichs reaches new heights in storytelling and suspense-building. Bones Are Forever shimmers with sexual tension, crackling dialogue, and the thrilling twists Reichs delivers so well.

Members Reviews:

Temperance Brennan lives up to my expectations

Where does Bones Are Forever rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

I love Kathy Reichs so this book is right up there among my favorites. It is my first audiobook of her stories and I will be back for more.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Her plots are always intriguing and exciting. This one didn't grab me like some have but it was very good.

What about Linda Emonds performance did you like?

Yes I liked her performance. This was my first book read by her. So far my favorite is Davina Porter but not everyone must be a master or mistress of complex dialogs. Ms. Emond was very good.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No. It held my interest and I will be listening to it again.

WOW-one of the best in a while

There isn't a Tempe book I don't like, but some are better than others. This is one of them. Went by way too fast. I especially like the stories that stay in Quebec but this one venturing out to Western Canada was great. Bringing in the little mentioned First Nation's People and the rape of the world by billion dollar companies.

Good book

I am a huge fan of Kathy Reichs. I've read all of the Brennan books and find that while some are better than others, she has done a nice job of not letting the characters get too stale even after 15 books. This story wasn't bad but it felt a little contrived, the ending a little too pat. I didn't like Emond in the beginning but she grew on me. I'm not sure that I will be hunting for more of her books yet but she makes a good Brennan.

Depends on what you enjoy

If you like history/geology/sociology, you will enjoy this. When the story sidetracked into this type stuff, I was bored and would lose the story line. I want to read/listen to the story, not the history of diamond mines or whatever. I know authors often do a lot of research and want to make use of it, but minimal setting for the story is preferable to me.

The basic story line is interesting and kept me listening, but I'd find myself tuning out at times.

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Title: A Brew to a Kill

Subtitle: A Coffeehouse Mystery, Book 11

Author: Cleo Coyle

Narrator: Rebecca Gibel

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-07-12

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 348 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

A shocking hit-and-run in front of her Village Blend coffeehouse spurs Clare Cosi into action. A divorced single mom, Clare is also a dedicated sleuth, and she's determined to track down this ruthless driver who ran down an innocent friend and customer.

In the meantime, her ex-husband, Matt, the shop's globetrotting coffee buyer, sources some amazing new beans from Brazil. But he soon discovers that he's importing more than coffee, and Clare may have been the real target of that deadly driver. Can ex-husband and wife work together to solve this mystery - or will their newest brew lead to murder?

Members Reviews:

Best cozy series ever!!

Truly the best cozy series around! I especially love the audio versions of these books as the narrator adds so much to an already terrific story. In this book, 40 something NY Village Blend Coffee shop manager, Clare Cozy has invested in a the newest big fad --a food truck. Fortunately, or maybe not, Matt, her ex and co-manager of the Village Blend, has just returned from Brazil where he purchased a new exotic, and very expensive, coffee bean. While they are discussing each other's new enterprises with a friend of theirs, a van runs down and seriously injures the friend. But who was the real intended victim?

Food truck competition, artistic expression, imported contraband, Chinatown, and the continuing love lives of the characters of the Village Blend continue to regale my mind with mystery, foodie fun, interesting facts, and a terrific story. I love the idea of destiny that happens in this book too. Two more books before I catch up with the authors. Please write faster!!

Better than Expected

This book had just enough dialog and suspense to keep you turning the pages. The narrator does such a great job creating different voices for the characters that I often forgot that I was listening to a single narrator. I thought this was a good book with great narration!

Another great audio from Cleo Coyle!

I enjoy all the books in this series and the narrator is great! The books have the recipes for all the delicious treats mentioned in the book. You can't go wrong with these audios.

Great Story

What made the experience of listening to A Brew to a Kill the most enjoyable?

I enjoyed the book very much. I'm a big fan of this series.

What did you like best about this story?

The different plots that were incorporated.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

It pretty much did. However, I found several differences between the book and the audio. There were words missing and there were some words that were changed. The same thing with sentences there were some both completely missing or changed.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Without giving it away I was touched by the end of the book.

So Good You Can Almost Smell the Coffee

If you could sum up A Brew to a Kill in three words, what would they be?

Storyline, characters, coffee.What's not to love?

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The plots for all of the coffee house books are fun to follow. These plots are not complicated, but are not totally obvious. There are enough twists and secondary plot lines to keep you completed interested.

Have you listened to any of Rebecca Gibels other performances before? How does this one compare?

I love her narration.

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Title: Close Your Eyes

Author: Iris Johansen, Roy Johansen

Narrator: Elisabeth Rodgers

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-17-12

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 910 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

A music therapist who thrives on helping others, Kendra Michaels cherishes the ordinary life she has achieved after stem cell surgery restored her sight. The skills she perfected during those sightless years - the ability to pick up the most subtle audio, olfactory, and tactile cues in the world around her - coupled with her laser-sharp mind - have made her a uniquely potent observer and problem solver. Kendras uncanny way of connecting the dots is as baffling to law enforcement as it is legendary.

When former agent Adam Lynch, known as the Puppetmaster, approaches her about a possible serial murder case, she is determined to steer clear. But hes a notorious manipulator, skilled at handling criminals and colleagues alike to get the results he wants. And now he holds a trump card: The latest possible victim is Kendras ex-lover, an FBI agent who vanished without enough clues to follow - unless Kendra can pick up the trail. And if she cant, she just might close her eyes again ... forever.

Members Reviews:

Not Good, sorry!

What disappointed you about Close Your Eyes?

Rather amateurish, both in writing and in narrator's performance. The story plot was interesting however, the dialogue of the characters lacks dept and maturity. The narration did not help the lack of maturity.

Would you ever listen to anything by Iris Johansen and Roy Johansen again?

Sorry, not unless it makes the best seller's list.

What didnt you like about Elisabeth Rodgerss performance?

Immature inflection.

You didnt love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Sorry, not really!

So....so

Would you try another book from Iris Johansen and Roy Johansen and/or Elisabeth Rodgers?

i don't know

What was most disappointing about Iris Johansen and Roy Johansen s story?

This book is nothing to write home about. For one thing the murder plot gets repetitive & boring real fast & any avid reader, movie buff or TV guru could quickly figure out why the murders are happening & what the main plot is although nothing comes to light until the end. So to begin with so there is no challenge there. The main female character seems to have a lot of extraordinary talents but cant seem to handle them when under real pressure. She is in constant self analysis & blame of herself & those around her to a point of becoming nauseating & repetitious. Even after nearly getting killed several times in this book she still plunders on in a cloud of resistance, confusion & inability to stop. (?) She waffles from always believing she is right, getting testy, to having a huge chip on her shoulder. The story line becomes too long & drawn out with the story based on mainly conversational which to me lacks a balanced with what could have been some interesting background narrative. And the relationship between the main female character & the FBI sounds just way too loose, unorganized & unbelievable.

The narrator was pretty good although I could still hear the female tone in the numerous male voices.

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Title: Afraid to Die

Subtitle: A Selena Alvarez & Reagan Pescol Novel, Book 4

Author: Lisa Jackson

Narrator: Natalie Ross

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-12-12

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 304 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Afraid to Scream

Others may dread the chill of winter, but he relishes it: the way the frigid water preserves his victims, the feel of their icy skin beneath his fingers. And soon the world will see their beauty - and his vengeance.

Afraid to Run

The town of Grizzly Falls is on edge in the wake of a serial killer, and Detective Selena Alvarez is no exception. That case was solved, but a new nightmare is about to unfold. There are two victims so far - their bodies were frozen solid and deliberately displayed. Both are women she knew. And each wears a piece of Selenas jewelry.

Afraid to Die

Selenas partner, Detective Regan Pescoli, and the entire department are on the case, as is P.I. Dylan OKeefe - a man Selena got too close to once before. But this killer already knows too much about Selenas secret terror, her flaws, and the past shes tried to outrun. And soon hell show her that she has every reason to be afraid.

Members Reviews:

Unique and fascinating serial murder novel!

The serial murderer is an ice statue artist who puts real women inside the ice and then poses them in public places. This narrator is quite good.

Recommended for those who like dark detective thrillers.

WOW!!!! I loved it sooo much!!!

Thank You Lisa Jackson, for taking me away and losing myself. It was a great ride, one that I didn't want to get off.

Just Okay

Have you listened to any of Natalie Rosss other performances before? How does this one compare?

LOVE Natalie Ross, one of the best narrators.

Did Afraid to Die inspire you to do anything?

My first Lisa Jackson. Not sure how I like this writer

Great to see Alvarez and Pescoli again

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The plot was good. There were a few unbelievable coincidences but for the most part it was a good storyline.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

The narrator needs to work on her male voices. It kind of broke up the flow when she switched to a male because it really sounded like a female trying to sound male. When it was narration or female voices she did fine.

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

This book definitely kept me hanging on and wanting to drive around to listen. Fortunately I had lots of driving to do for work and could listen to it all in just a few days.

Any additional comments?

It's great to be back to the Alvarez and Pescoli storyline. I've really enjoyed this series.

Horrible Narration but good story

Would you try another book from Lisa Jackson and/or Natalie Ross?

I love Lisa Jackson but I will not listen to another book narrated by Natalie Ross

Who was your favorite character and why?

Dillan

What didnt you like about Natalie Rosss performance?

She talks in broken sentences and I don't like her accents and the voices she uses for the characters

Could you see Afraid to Die being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Yes

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Title: Silent Partner

Author: Jonathan Kellerman

Narrator: Alexander Adams

Format: Unabridged

Length: 15 hrs and 35 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-05-12

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 238 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

The best-selling author of When The Bough Breaks, Blood Test, and Over The Edge delivers the most stunning novel yet, featuring psychologist-detective Dr. Alex Delaware.

At a party for a controversial Los Angeles sex therapist, Alex encounters a face from his own past: Sharon Ransom, an exquisite, alluring lover who left him abruptly more than a decade earlier. Sharon now hints that she desperately needs help, but Alex evades her. The next day she is dead, an apparent suicide. Driven by guilt and sadness, Alex plunges into the maze of Sharon's life - a journey that will take him through the pleasure palaces of California's ultra-rich, into the dark closets of a family's disturbing past, and finally into the alleyways of the mind, where childhood terrors still hold sway.

Also available on BDD Audio Cassette.

Critic Reviews:

"A complex and haunting story of tangled personalities, deeply buried family secrets, and of violence lying thinly under the surface ... Hits the reader right between the eyes." (Los Angeles Times Book Review)

Members Reviews:

Bad So Cal pronunciations

Narrator needs to learn how to pronounce street and place names in So Cal Very distracting.

Great author and characters

Would you listen to Silent Partner again? Why?

No, I usually only go through a book once

Who was your favorite character and why?

Alex Delaware

Have you listened to any of Alexander Adamss other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

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

No

Any additional comments?

It was a little slow at times, but overall a great book

Very characters

Excellent, excellent, excellent book! Nearing the middle and end I could not put it down because I was too busy trying to hurry up and find out how many heck did this happen and who did it, LOL

Prolonged, improbable, yet I listened

Each time I start a new Kellerman, I'm minutes from giving up on it. Yet, I always finish them, and am left with the same questions -- what did this really say about our protagonist or anyone else in the story? As complex and evolved as the characters seem to be, I'm never quite sure about them. The plot does not lack detail, but I find myself backing up to the portion I missed -- I do that a lot anyway, but in Kellerman's books, I'm very likely to miss more and perhaps to never figure it out. Yet I still hang in there. I keep thinking. I'll learn something new about the protagonist, his gay friend, his girlfriend the luthier and the social mores in general. I never quite break through though.

In this one, the temporary separation from Robin allows our hero to not re-engage with an old flame and to feel guilty nevertheless. Wonder what Robin did in the meantime?

There's twins, or perhaps triplets due to administration of some hormones, because why again? These twins may be Howard Hughes' or perhaps his partner's?

So sometimes we think there are twins, then perhaps triplets, and in the end, twins again? I confess to being unsure even of that resolution. One kills the other, or maybe she doesn't.

In the end, I can't figure out if its my inattention, over attention, or what that made this so difficult.

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Title: Full Dark House

Author: Christopher Fowler

Narrator: Tim Goodman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 24 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-31-12

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 400 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

In Full Dark House, Christopher Fowler tells the story of both the first and last case of an unlikely pair of crime fighters - and how along the way they changed the face of detection.

A present-day bombing rips through London and claims the life of 80-year-old detective Arthur Bryant. For his partner John May, it means the end of a partnership that lasted over half a century and an eerie echo back to the Blitz of World War II when they first met. Desperately searching for clues to the killers identity, May finds his old friends notes of their very first case and becomes convinced that the past has returned ... with a killing vengeance.

It begins when a dancer in a risqué new production of Orpheus in Hell is found without her feet. Suddenly, the young detectives are plunged in a bizarre gothic mystery that will push them to their limits - and beyond. For in a city shaken by war, a faceless killer is stalking Londons theaters, creating his own kind of sinister drama. And it will take Arthur Bryants unorthodox techniques and John Mays dogged police work to catch a criminal whose ability to escape detection seems almost supernatural - a murderer who even decades later seems to have claimed the life of one of them ... and is ready to claim the other.

Filled with startling twists, unforgettable characters, and a mystery that will keep you guessing, Full Dark House is a witty, heartbreaking, and all-too-human thriller about the hunt for an inhuman killer.

Members Reviews:

Not What I Had Hoped

I agree with other reviewers that the narration was a distraction. The voices were complicated to follow and tell apart which made the story confusing. The unusual mispronunciations peppering the reading became irritating. I disliked the narration so much that I gave up on the book. I think this is one series I will need to read in print to enjoy. Do listen to the sample first to be sure that it won't bother you. It ruined the book for me.

More Than Just a Mystery

I stumbled upon this book while searching Audible for another mystery series. Right off the bat, this met several of my criteria:

a) significant number of books in the series and on Audible (8);

b) takes place somewhere interesting that I don't know much about (London)

c) has the added bonus of a fun accent (British)

And then, once I read the book, I could add well-developed, interesting characters to the list, as well as two cases for the price of one. The case in the present has to do with Arthur Bryant, the eccentric half of Bryant & May (John May is the straight arrow), who is trapped in a building when it inexplicably explodes; and the case taking place in WWII London delves into theater life, the prevailing culture, and Greek mythology to solve a host of murders. This book does a nice job of setting the scene of the WWII times without getting overly emotional about it: Yes, it was unfathomably awful; but Londoners were doing their best to keep calm and carry on.

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Title: Free Fall in Crimson

Subtitle: A Travis McGee Novel, Book 19

Author: John D. MacDonald

Narrator: Robert Petkoff

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-08-12

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 136 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

This time out, McGee comes close to losing his status as a living legend when he agrees to track down the killers who brutally murdered an ailing millionaire. For starters, he renews an unfinished adventure with a famous - and oversexed - Hollywood actress, who leads him into a very nasty nest of murderers involving a motorcycle gang, pornographic movies, and mad balloonists. And McGee relearns the old lesson - that only when he comes close to the edge of death does he feel he completely alive.

Members Reviews:

Very Good Writer; outdated attitudes.

I began reading MacDonald as a young man in the eighties. In those days the gender role and sexual attitudes expressed by the author weren't unusual. The majority of the authors I'd read possessed those same attitudes. Now those attitudes that just seemed quaint and outdated now read as judgmental, hypocritical and misogynistic when expressed by McGee. Indeed at times they're jarring now. Likewise the attitudes,slang, musical tastes and speech patterns are similarly outdated. As so often occurs in the McGee series there is someone identified as a close friend who suddenly appears for the first time. Finally the semi adulation accredited to Meyer by McGee's over the top quoting of him as the source of all wisdom grows tedious.

That being said; the author is an excellent writer of mystery fiction. the story flows and the transitions are seamless; there's plenty of action and unlike current mystery writers there is no catch phrase being repeated constantly like the hook in a song. The complexity of Travis McGee is presented by the author in long thoughtful unspoken monologues give us an inner view of a questioning mind. If I were a young reader; unfamiliar with the attitudes expressed by the author these works might be a complete miss. But just like a man in his fifties looks back at his twenties I can't quit McGee.

Not enough tickle and torque.

I'm a huge fan of John D. MacDonald. I think he is funny and sharp. He has a certain pulp formula and sticks with it and usually the cake rises, browns, and turns out just fine. But this book was just kinda -- meh. Which is surprising because you would think a book with motorcycle gangs, pornography rings, and people falling out of hot air balloons would be kinda exciting. It just wasn't. It was like he read 'Around the Wold in 80 Days', watched a couple James Bond flicks, and followed that up with an Easy Rider marathon and felt he could combine the three things. He managed to combine these elements, but his novel just didn't have enough tickle and torque.

To me it felt like MacDonald wasn't sailing this novel. He had it tied down and was just letting nature take its course. There was no emotional texture and the narrative was just kinda straight. I knew where he was going and by the end I just didn't really care. AND, I did't even mention one of my MacDonald peeves. Sex. Hey, I think sex is nifty and neato and all the rest. Sure sure. But MacDonald writing about it is like talking dirty with an unmarried uncle. No thanks. I'll pass.

Always a Classic

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Travis McGee is the quintessential detective. Great mysteries, great characters and the always intriguing love interest. MacDonald at his best.

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Title: Cinnamon Skin

Subtitle: A Travis McGee Novel, Book 20

Author: John D. MacDonald

Narrator: Robert Petkoff

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 22 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-08-12

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 173 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

When Travis McGee's friend Meyer lent his boat to his niece Norma and her new husband Evan, the boat exploded out in the waters of the Florida Keys. Travis McGee thinks it's no accident, and clues lead him to ponder possibilities of drugs and also to wonder where Evan was when his wife was killed.

Members Reviews:

The best of McGee

This is; in my opinion; the best of the McGee series. The relationship between Travis and Anne is well crafted. The recovery of Meyer from the events from "Free Fall in Crimson is both plaintive and redemptive." The road trip that McGee and Meyer take to Texas is especially well done. The ultimate climatic scene is more understated than the usual McGee finale. A great read all the way through.

This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang...

I think this is my sixth MacDonald (and fifth Travis McGee) novel. There is something trashy but smooth about all of MacDonald's work. They are probably mid-tier pulp from a plot sandpoint, but woven through out each is a bunch of philosophy and poltiics that braids the novels with a form of libertarian conservatism that is kinda attractive. This isn't Ayn Rand trash. This is John D. MacDonald. So the politics/economics/philosophy is soft, the writing is good, and the covers are all soft-core.

The math with John D., however, is interesting. His plots can vascillate (meh to great), his political philosophy can also move and vary (meh to great), as does his writing about women and sex (ugh to blah). Generally, I prefer his books when the politics is dialed up, the sex is dialed down, and the plot is hard and fast. Cinnamon Skin came through. It wasn't brilliant, but it made my flight from Phoenix to Dallas easy.

Petkoff is Brilliant

If you could sum up Cinnamon Skin in three words, what would they be?

Complex but always fascinating story.

What did you like best about this story?

I'm a MacDonald/McGee fan.

Have you listened to any of Robert Petkoffs other performances before? How does this one compare?

I used to think Darren McGavin ( a fine actor) was unbeatable as McGee in those abridged versions, but Bob Petkoff IS Travis McGee. He has wonderful distinct voices for all the characters. He's a major talent and in three decades of audio books I've never heard a better reader.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

All good

Any additional comments?

I just hope they don't replace Petkoff they way they screwed up the Spenser novels by using alternate talent to Joe Mantenga like Michael Pritchard. Just doesn't work. What are they thinking?

This was the place MacDonald should have stopped

Would you consider the audio edition of Cinnamon Skin to be better than the print version?

Having read this book when it came out--and audiobooks were in their primitive infancy (remember all those cassettes in large boxes that came through the mail?), it really is difficult to compare the printed and audio versions of this series.

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Title: The Turquoise Lament

Subtitle: A Travis McGee Novel, Book 15

Author: John D. MacDonald

Narrator: Robert Petkoff

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 17 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-08-12

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 163 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Now that Linda "Pidge" Lewellen is grown up, she tells Travis McGee, once her girlhood idol, that either she's going crazy or Howie, her affable ex-jock of a husband, is trying to kill her. McGee checks things out, and gives Pidge the all clear. But when Pidge and Howie sail away to kiss and make up, McGee has second thoughts. If only he can get to Pidge before he has time for any more thinking.

Members Reviews:

Mediocre McGee

The early seventies were evidently tough on the author because this book as well as the two that preceded it were, in my opinion, the worst three books of the series. As usual McGee does a great deal about all that is wrong with the world and the individuals that inhabit it. That and an overly long and poorly written climax drop the storyline to four stars and the narration drops the book another notch in my rating. Meyer's time in the hospital and the investigation into the new husband's background are strong points in the book and as always MacDonald's writing is top notch. There isn't a Travis McGee novel that I wouldn't recommend.

Another great McGee!

Great story, again. Kept me on edge the entire time. You have to ask is Travis missing a step or two as he get older? He still has the reader rooting the entire time. Fun stuff.

Travis Goes to Pago Pago

At least he didn't get shot this time! This one was tough on our hero. Very personal involvments and a lot of back-story. As usual the characters are all fullly fleshed out and the overall story was great. But I never thought I'd hear Travis singing the praises of a Pulsar LED digital watche!!! Perhaps the next one will mention what a stupid idea they were.....

Classic MacDonald

What made the experience of listening to The Turquoise Lament the most enjoyable?

The narrator is spot on. Petkoff's ability to portray the characters in the stories makes the books even more enjoyable.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Travis, because he is Travis.

What does Robert Petkoff bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

Petkoff is now the voice in my head of McGee

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

NA

Any additional comments?

NA

Good TRavis McGee book

Would you listen to The Turquoise Lament again? Why?

No, It was story oriented..

What other book might you compare The Turquoise Lament to and why?

Most MacDonalds seem similar.. very restful..

What about Robert Petkoffs performance did you like?

He seems like he IS Travis

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

No

Any additional comments?

No