Discover the Top 100 Audiobooks in Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

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Title: Wanna Get Lucky?

Author: Deborah Coonts

Narrator: Renée Raudman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 19 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-11-10

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 200 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

When a young woman plunges from a Las Vegas tour helicopter, landing in the Pirates Lagoon in front of the Treasure Island Hotel in the middle the 8:30 Pirate Show, almost everyone wrote her off as another Vegas victim. But Lucky OToole, the wise-cracking Head of Customer Relations at the Babylon, the newest, most over-the-top mega-resort on the Strip, smelled a rat.

Even though Lucky's got a lot on her plate - dealing with the Adult Film industrys annual awards banquet, a Trendmakers spouse-swapping convention, and a hotel bursting at the seams with sex toy purveyors hoping to lure the interest of the pocket-protector crowd attending Comdex - she cant resist turning over a few stones. When a former flame, Irv Gittings, is one of the snakes she uncovers, Lucky is certain this was no Sin City suicide.

Lucky must control this rapid-fire onslaught of events, solve the crime, and struggle to keep her life and her libido from spinning out of control - especially when she meets her fellow investigator, a shockingly handsome, charismatically charming Texan named Paxton Dane.

Members Reviews:

Lucky O'Toole is a star

This was a great read that made me want to give up my job and run off to Vegas. That is of course if I could get a 6 maybe 7 figure job as a problem solver in a popular Vegas Hotel. Lucky O'Toole is smart, sassy, and witty. The plot is strong with many twists and turns to keep you interested to the end. The dialogue is filled with humor, intelligence, and intrigue. This is a surprisingly good and unique story set in a unique city. There is a bit too much of romance for my taste but it doesn't take away from the story. I strongly reccomend this book. I have already bought the second book.

Fun Read!

If you could sum up Wanna Get Lucky? in three words, what would they be?

Lots of twists and subplots made a very interesting read.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Lucky of course but love Teddy the drag queen and the part he played in the story.

Which character as performed by Renée Raudman was your favorite?

Actually, I loved how she portrayed all of the characters. Each different and easy to know who was talking. Have read other books narrated by her and she is always a safe choice when I am perusing books to get. She is excellent at getting the pacing and emotions correct.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

I think the book title would be perfect.

Any additional comments?

I look forward to reading more of the series.

THE REAL LAS VEGAS

Having lived in Las Vegas for 28 years and worked in casinos the whole time, Deborah Coonts grasp of the casino life is beyond reproach. She keeps my attention from the first word to the last and I can't wait for her next book. I started listening to her books because I am so fond of her husband's UFO books and now I am delighted to say I love them both. Renee Raudman is one of the best narrators I have heard on Audible. She makes you feel as though you are really there. I wish she would narrate more of the books to which I listen. You won't be disappointed if you listen to this series. It is fast paced and fun.

wonderful

This is a great read. Fun from beginning to end. Amazing characters a thrilling emotional journey and so entertaining you won't want to put it down.

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Title: A Question of Belief

Subtitle: A Commissario Guido Brunetti Mystery

Author: Donna Leon

Narrator: David Colacci

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-01-10

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 171 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Commissario Guido Brunetti must contend with ingenious corruption, bureaucratic intransigence, and the stifling heat of a Venetian summer. As he plans a trip to the mountains with his family, he learns that cases at the local court - hardly known as a model of efficiency - are being delayed to the benefit of one of the parties. A creative new trick for corrupting the system, perhaps, but what can Brunetti do about it? Just when it looks like he will be able to get away, a shocking, violent crime forces him to stay in Venice.

Critic Reviews:

"Leons many fans love this series for the Venetian setting, the complex family dynamics, and the heros mix of melancholy and compassion, and in this nineteenth installment, they get all of the above." (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

Sometimes a bit protracted - finally staggering

I'm a huge fan of both Donna Leon and David Colacci. This audiobook is one of his best narrated versions. There are two parallel stories, and as usual, there is no clear resolution, but the end is breathtaking. The narrator perfectly captures the tenor of life in heat-ridden Venice. The avvocato's robes, hanging from his arm as he leans toward the window, trying to get air at the end of a court case, the interior of the restaurant selling those deliciously described tramezzini (sandwiches), and most importantly, a bird-cage filled, wine-racked storage cupboard in the courtyard of Venetian palazzo, will always stay with me.

Listening to this book is like taking a real, highly evocative trip to Venice. Even better than a real trip, you get a feel for every day life of the local. And at a huge discount ;)

It's boring

The book moves at an agonizingly slow pace. It's apparent up front what the ending is. And not much scenery.

Spoiled by Pretentious Narration

I have read (in print) and admired all of the preceding Commissario Brunetti titles and this is my first disappointment, partly because the novel is atypically slow-starting and slow in general, but mostly because of the oddly stilted narration. David Colacci apparently decided that because the story takes place in Venice and the characters are Italian he would need to give them a phony and forced Italo-American accent. This is unsuccessful and distracting in the extreme. If Mr. Colacci read Tolstoi in translation would he provide an American's notion of a Russian accent? Should Madame Bovary, narrated in English, speak with a pseudo-French accent? It does not work and frankly spoils the book.

ANOTHER GREAT STORY IN THE SERIES

Would you consider the audio edition of A Question of Belief to be better than the print version?

Yes, with David Colacci performing it's a masterpiece. Guido Brunetti, a principled man, quite often seems to be drifting alone in a sea of corruption.

What did you like best about this story?

The strongest thing about the story is the realism and portrayal of the characters as real people with ordinary lives.

Which character as performed by David Colacci was your favorite?

They are all great, but Guido Brunetti is the best.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

CRIMES WITH NO JUSTICE

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Title: Close to You

Subtitle: Lost Texas Hearts, Book 3

Author: Christina Dodd

Narrator: Natalie Ross

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 33 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-23-10

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 156 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Caitlin Prescott was only a baby when her parents disappeared. Adopted by a wealthy Texas oil family, she became Kate Montgomery, and grew up with no memory of her parents or her two older sisters and brother, who have been searching for her, hoping to right a terrible wrong that was committed 22 years ago in a small Texas town.

Now an ambitious young news reporter, Kate realizes she is being stalked soon after landing her dream job at an Austin TV station. Why did a car try to run her down? Who would want to kill her? Turning her precarious situation into a story, she takes on a bodyguard and follows him on the job. But she didnt plan on the cool, blade-sharp strength of Teague Ramos or the attraction that sizzles between them.

Critic Reviews:

"A fine stylist...one of those rare writers

willing to take chances. (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Not very good

What would have made Close to You better?

This was the 3rd book in the series.........I did not like the second... This one was ok...the story line went waaaay to slow. It took listening to these last two books to finally found out what happened in the first book. I'm a huge Christina Dodd fan but the last two books did not keep my attention.

Has Close to You turned you off from other books in this genre?

It didn't............There are books that are bad and there arte books that are bad and this was not one of those. it was ok,,,the story line was srug out............

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

I like the way they made it into 3 books...I love books that have more than one in the series, I disliked the story line, it was ok but it was drug out tooo slow.

What character would you cut from Close to You?

not sure............

End of Trilogy

Nice ending to a good series. Wrapped up most of the loose ends. Not quite as good as the two previous stories, but still enjoyable. I hope CD gives us Gabriel's story someday.

Great story..

Any additional comments?

I like to read along as I listen to an audio and sometime I get lucky and the book and the narrator are both great, like this was. I read/listenened to the first book, Just the Way You Are, then went to buy the second one, Almost Like Being In Love, only to find out it's not available on Amazon for my Kindle. So I could buy the 1st and 3rd??? Bummer, because I can't just sit and listen to a book, too boring. So, I bought the 3rd book because I had to know what happened in Hobart, Texas, all those years ago. I loved the story and Teague was awesome!! Kate was a little annoying at times but not enough to make me hate her or be labeled TSTL. And, finally, the narrator did a fantastic job.

Very enjoyable

An enjoyable addition to the series; strong continuation to the story with consistent character and plot development. This book stands on its own but will make you want to read the others.

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Title: Better Read Than Dead

Subtitle: Psychic Eye Mysteries, Book 2

Author: Victoria Laurie

Narrator: Elizabeth Michaels

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-02-10

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1414 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Word of Abby's talents reading tarot cards has reached a mob boss who wants her help in some business matters and he doesn't take no for an answer. When the police seek out her psychic intuition to shed light on a masked man who's been attacking women, Abby finds herself working both sides of the law on her own, leading her to wonder, why didn't I see this coming?

Members Reviews:

GREAT Series!

Once I start listening to one of the books in this series, I have to finish it. That includes listening at work, staying up late at night, driving around extra distances or parking in the driveway. I started with Abby Cooper Psychic Eye and have been reading in the series order, I feel each of these books will easily stand alone, but reading in order is helpful. The author does do an excellent job of filling in the information about past books happenings, but NOT in a repetitive way that's like a cut and paste of whole sections from previous books. Also, love the fact that young adults could read these, because violent scenes are not not gruesome and there aren't any graphic sex-capades. Don't get me wrong, I love a good Harlequin romance as well as the next girl might, it's just refreshing to read a funny, entertaining, clean book with a plot that isn't dependent on the main characters jumping in an out of sex scenes in between finding dead bodies.

I love the narrator and find her completely capable of the various characters required and much more enjoyable than the narrator used for the Sue Grafton Series. I am now up to book 7 and can't wait to hear her other series starting with the first book: What's a Ghoul to Do?

I highly recommend all of Victoria Laurie's books, I'm glad I didn't listen to the bad reviews!

Annoying to the end

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

A Grown Up Writer

Would you ever listen to anything by Victoria Laurie again?

Not a Chance

What about Elizabeth Michaelss performance did you like?

She did a great job with the story with which she had to work.

What character would you cut from Better Read Than Dead?

The main character whose favorite line was "Liar liar pants on fire" Come on!

Any additional comments?

I really wanted to like this book - honest. I tried. I thought it might be fun to suspend disbelief and enjoy a book about psychic this and that, but I never dreamed a writer could, from start to finish write such adolescent predictable junk. The lead character repeated the phrase "liar liar pants on fire," every time she told one, just in case the reader was too stupid to figure it out. And she seemed to only be able to recognize "hunks" or really mean men in the world - two classes of men. (Grow up much?) Her jealousy about her hunkish FBI boyfriend would have driven even the dumbest guy to oblivion, but somehow he was too smitten by this moronic (self proclaimed good looking) woman to run in the opposite direction. And the rest of the female characters were also stereotypical dopes.

So, what's to like?

The story line had all kinds of twists and turns that never came together without super glue that relied on so much conspiring on the part of you/me the reader to accept a juvenile plot that by the end I felt nauseous.

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Title: Crime Seen

Subtitle: Psychic Eye Mysteries, Book 5

Author: Victoria Laurie

Narrator: Elizabeth Michaels

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 38 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-02-10

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 816 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye, is having a hard time getting over a gunshot wound from her last case-especially because she didn't see the shots coming. Out of work and second-guessing her abilities, she tries to get back in the saddle by helping her boyfriend Dutch with some of his FBI cases. And soon enough, her intuition returns-with a vengeance.

Members Reviews:

Abby takes an undercover job

One of the things I enjoy about this series is that the characters have to live with the consequences. Abby got shot in the last book, so she is still having some problems. Candice her client/friend has moved to town and now she has a professional partner in investigating crimes. There was more mystery/detecting than the previous book. I enjoyed reading about Abby trying out to be a real sleuth going undercover for the first time. I also really liked that Candice is a kickass no-nonsense type gal who takes the more reluctant Abby on adventures. Some parts I felt she was being too pushy, but I think their relationship makes a good contrast. The regular surrounding characters including her sister, Milo and Dave makes appearances, too. I think this series is getting better as it progresses. Good thing there is more to read!

I like the story-but not a fan of narrator

What made the experience of listening to Crime Seen the most enjoyable?

I am enjoying the story line, but not the narrator...

What didnt you like about Elizabeth Michaelss performance?

I don't like the way she reads...too slow, no characterization.

Enjoy the series

I truly enjoy Victoria Laurie as an author and was excited to audibly read my 1st book by her. While I enjoyed the story, I was not a big fan of the narration of any of the main characters. I always interpretted Abby in my reading of this series as more factual about her psychic moments so the interpretive reading of Abby's clarvoyant moments left something to be desired in my mind. Toward the end of the audible book I stopped noticing this issue but I think I will read the rest of the series.

Abby gets into trouble, Surprise!!

Great series, very light, just fun. A good addition to the series. Abby is a bit lacking in common sense, still makes for a fun story.

Abby: good psychic, horrible person

Where does Crime Seen rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

It's official. I don't like Abby. She's childish, moody, dangerously impulsive, has poor people skills and is possibly stupid. I have no respect for Dutch. For a big, bad FBI agent he lets her run all over him. He is not allowed to dictate to her or treat her like a child but it's perfectly okay for Abby to talk down to him and treat him like an idiot. Oh and lie, lie, lie. She goes on a pretend date for her business and he catches her at the restaurant. That night she decids to move out. Her reason? His cat hates her. Oh that's not suspicious at all. Dutch reacts as if she kicked him? That's it? Really? Who wouldn't suspect her of moving out to be more free to cheat on him. Especially since she jumped in the sack with a guy in the last book. I gave the book high marks because the series has kept me entertained but I just don't like Abby. I would not have her for a friend. I would visit her for a psychic reading but that's about it. I love the narrator.

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Title: Sweet and Deadly

Author: Charlaine Harris

Narrator: Suzy Jackson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 2 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-07-10

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 133 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Now best known for her New York Times best-selling Sookie Stackhouse novels, Charlaine Harris hit "a home run the first time out" (Birmingham News) with the story of a murder that embroils a small-town reporter in mystery that hits close to home.

Catherine Linton has returned to her hometown of Lowfield, Mississippi, unconvinced that the death of her parents in a car crash six months earlier was an accident. And her suspicions are confirmed when she stumbles upon the dead and beaten body of her doctor-father's longtime nurse. There are secrets being kept in Lowfield. And the town where Catherine grew up may be the same place where she is sent to her grave.

Critic Reviews:

"A first-rate mystery with special character ... as convincing as it is surprising in the final revelation." (Washington Post)

Members Reviews:

Narrator doesn't do the book justice

Any additional comments?

Having read the novel first, I was excited to have an audio book copy on hand for long days at work.

Unfortunately, the narrator.

Suzy Jackson's voice is very easy to listen to, which is not always the case with audio narrators. She enunciates clearly, and she would probably be great for novels set in Anywhere, America, which a book written in the first person.

This book, however, is set in the South. The main character, Southern. All but one character, Southern. Her voices are only hints at a Southern accent, and the main character herself has none. Even when the text states that the main character is speaking in an exaggerated drawl, Ms. Jackson continues to speak in a generic, accent-less tone.

As Ms. Jackson reads, it seems as though she is doing a blind reading,as her cadence doesn't match the words; rather, she seems to be trying to adapt as she reads, resulting in confusion over what is going on and who is speaking. Combined with her lack of accents (and lack of variety in characters), it is only the written cues in the book that gave me any idea she had switched from narrating to speaking in character.

I wish she had read the book several times before reciting. Perhaps then, the characters would sound like they were actual residents of the Southern delta where they are set, and the novel itself would have the subdued, tense atmosphere of the written book.

Okay

This was a good effort and first novel by Harris. I am glad that she continued writing because her books got better and better. In Sweet and Deadly the plot was a little thin and the characters were not fully developed. However, it was a good book. It's worth a credit if you are a fan of Charlaine Harris and want to read her first book.

BORING!

An hour into this and I turned it off. Don't always believe the reviews.

Gave it another listen

Well I didn't enjoy this story the first time I listened to it However upon listening to it again I must say I did in fact enjoy it The narration was always good

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Title: The Coroner

Author: M. R. Hall

Narrator: Sian Thomas

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 25 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-04-09

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 61 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Could the tragic death in custody of a young boy be linked to the apparent suicide of a teenage prostitute - and the fate of Marshall himself? Jenny's curiosity is aroused. Why was Marshall behaving so strangely before he died? What injustice was he planning to uncover? And what caused his abrupt change of heart?

In the face of powerful and sinister forces determined to keep both the truth hidden and the troublesome coroner in check, Jenny embarks on a lonely and dangerous one-woman crusade for justice which threatens not only her career but also her sanity.

Members Reviews:

Best book of the year, so far.

"I'm a Coroner. I spend my life laying things to rest . . ."

Somehow I came across "Coroner" in hardcover when it was first published. I loved it so much I bought two subsequent volumes in hardcover, too, as soon as they came out. I don't think I've ever done that before. All three are magnificent. I was delighted to see them now in Audible and already bought all three again, and am looking forward to the two more that M. R. Hall has now written. These books are the best of the best, and the narration by Sian Thomas is absolutely perfect. She's exactly what I'd expect Coroner Jenny Cooper to sound like. (Not that it matters, but I was astonished to see that "M. R. Hall" is actually Matthew Hall, a young man who created a pitch-perfect female as his protagonist. I didn't realize that until I'd read all three books and looked up the author out of curiosity. Wow! Well done!)

There's much to love about these books: the fascinating details about the unusual job of coroner -- a bit different in England than in the States, but no less interesting. The locale, especially the house Jenny just bought, a remote, greatly-in-need-of-care farmhouse I expect most of us would give our eye teeth to live in. And Jenny herself. I can't help but compare her to Lynda LaPlante's memorable 'Lorraine Paige', that brilliant but much-abused alcoholic police detective who struggles against her many personal demons in LaPlante's "Cold" series, "Cold Heart", etc. For Jenny, it's not alcohol so much as Valium that's her demon. Coming off a nasty, long-term marriage to an arrogant surgeon, followed by a divorce in which their teenage son is sent to live with her husband -- then learning that she was appointed as Coroner more or less as a 'charity' case -- Jenny has grown dependent on the drug to maintain, with the struggle to hide her dependence almost as much of a problem as is the stress of everything else. All of this makes the unquestionably brilliant Jenny Cooper an immensely sympathetic protagonist, especially given her determination to see justice done for the dead "clients" she's responsible for.

It's really a misnomer to call these "crime" novels, because although the setting indeed involves crimes and courts, its the characters who hold the real attraction, and Jenny Cooper is a winner in every respect. Just one warning: If you buy 'Coroner', be sure you have enough credits to buy the rest of the series, too. You won't want to wait to buy them.

Another British Bombshell

Disclaimer: my favorite detective genre. Murder (or was it/they?) in a rural setting, and we learn the role of the Coroner in legal matters.

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Title: Cherry Bomb

Subtitle: A Jacqueline 'Jack' Daniels Mystery #6

Author: J. A. Konrath

Narrator: Susie Breck, Dick Hill

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-07-09

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 390 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

At the end of Fuzzy Navel, J. A. Konrath surprised listeners with an agonizing cliff-hanger: One of Lieutenant Jacqueline Jack Danielss loved ones is dead. But who? Listeners were left clamoring to know more.

Cherry Bomb, the sixth Jack Daniels mystery, opens at the funeral. While Jack stands graveside, tears in her eyes, her cell phone rings. Its the killer, escaped maniac Alex Kork, taunting Jack, drawing her ever further into a twisted game of cat and mouse. Because while Alex is more than willing to kill random victims, Jack is her true prey. But which woman wants revenge more?

Cherry Bomb is J. A. Konrath's most gripping novel of suspense yetfilled with twists and turns that will keep listeners on the edge of their seats.

"One part murder, two parts mayhem, with a generous splash of humor and garnished with some of the most interesting characters in current fiction." eBookreporter.com

Members Reviews:

Not impressed

The Jacqueline 'Jack' Daniels mystery series novels are highly variable in quality. Of the ones I have listened to so far Cherry Bomb is the worst. 2 stars is being very generous. The narration is outstanding.

TOO much sex..became unreal

Would you try another book from J. A. Konrath and/or Susie Breck and Dick Hill ?

I would be hesitant to try another book...although Breck and Hill were very good.

Would you be willing to try another book from J. A. Konrath? Why or why not?

Again I would be hesitant I think the plot was lost with so many sex scenes.

Which character as performed by Susie Breck and Dick Hill was your favorite?

Jack Daniels she was determined and in the end did a self-evaluation.

Did Cherry Bomb inspire you to do anything?

NO!

Any additional comments?

I'll wait for more reviews before I purchased another J.A. Konrath.

Narrators are terrific!

I like the Konrath books (all of them), but I especially like Dick Hill and Susie Breck as narrators. Don't read this book--LISTEN to it. And start with Whiskey Sour if you haven't read any yet.

Boy did I learn a lesson

What disappointed you about Cherry Bomb?

First of all never get multiple titles by the same author you've never read before.

I did this with Konrath, at sale price fortunately. As my buying history shows I'm not a prude with my listening. However this book was completely obsessed with sex to the point of total boredom. EVERYTHING was viewed with sex colored glasses. Of the hundreds of books I've listened to this was one of the 3 or 4 I just put down, it was just that boring and useless.

Would you ever listen to anything by J. A. Konrath again?

Not even the other two in my library.

What didnt you like about Susie Breck and Dick Hill s performance?

I won't say anything negative about Breck's performance, I'm sure she does well with better material. Dick Hill doesn't need any critique, he is THE voice. Even with this piece his range and inflection was, as always, spot on.

Excellent

Funny, serios, shooting, and fighting. Cops that take down a serial killer. Done in an unprofessional manner that is awesome.

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Title: A Beautiful Place to Die

Author: Malla Nunn

Narrator: Saul Reichlin

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 40 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-25-09

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 698 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Police officer Emmanuel Cooper is dispatched to a remote town after a police captain is found murdered in a creek. Even though Cooper judges the crime open and shut, the government's feared Special Branch is summoned, making for an intrigue that will titillate any mystery fan.

Members Reviews:

Worth listening to both as mystery and history

This mystery occurs post WWII in South Africa in the early days of Apartheid under the the Nationalist party. The brutality and degradation of the system is captured in this excellent mystery. I read the second book and then the first book but both are worth reading in any order. Characters are multi-dimensional and complex which added to the reality of the story. The reader is terrific and made the characters come alive. I certainly hope there will be more books to come by this author and reader.

Excellent

This book took me to another time and place where the color of your skin could mean everything. Worth the listen!

Mystery in 1950's South Africa

The first in the Detective Emmanuel Cooper Mysteries, A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO DIE is set in 1950's apartheid South Africa. Cooper is sent to investigate the murder of the local Afrikaner Police Captain --the father of the town's powerful Pretiorus family. He is aided by the town's only black Zulu police officer and a Jewish doctor transplant from WW2. Cooper is having to work secretly and carefully because of the politically powerful Security Branch, which is determined to ring a confession from a "black Communist" who was actually a man who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Racial tensions dominate the investigation and the addition of the Immorality Laws (forbidding sex between the races) and a Peeping Tom case confuse everything. Then there is also Cooper's haunting by his old WW2 Scottish Sergeant Major. Secrets, forbidden photographs, twisted religion, and mixed race people confuse an already difficult case. Power, greed, and brutality are all too common as Cooper tries to stay away from the vengeance and muscles of those who have determined their own outcome choices.

It's hard to say that I enjoyed this book. I can say it rang very true of the times. The injustices and sheer evil of the situations and laws made for difficult reading at times, but perhaps that is what actually made this an excellent book. Excellent narration!

This is a "page-turner!"

This is a wonderfully riveting and haunting novel, taking place as it does in a disturbing time in South Africa. The characters are so well-drawn, as are their interactions, that I can see the story unfold in my mind's eye. The historical context makes the story "edge of your seat" suspenseful. It leaves me both outraged and sad as the apartheid attitudes and laws get played out. Cooper and his Zulu constable partner are a great pair, illustrating both the tensions between their races and the potential for good men to do what is right.

Amazingly Good Story and Narration

This one is worth the time and credit! The setting -- race-segregated South Africa -- is brought to listeners in a no-holds barred fashion. In that way, the story is hard to hear because there is no denying the horrendous things humans are capable of in relation to creating status for their own kind. This book is a very good mystery -- one that will keep you engaged and eager for more.

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Title: The Long Fall

Author: Walter Mosley

Narrator: Mirron Willis

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 53 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-24-09

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 325 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Ex-boxer, hard drinker, in a business that trades mostly in cash and favors: McGill's an old-school P.I. working a city that's gotten fancy all around him. Fancy or not, he has always managed to get by - keep a roof over the head of his wife and kids, and still manage a little fun on the side - mostly because he's never been above taking a shady job for a quick buck. But like the city itself, McGill is turning over a new leaf, "decided to go from crooked to slightly bent."

New York City in the twenty-first century is a city full of secrets - and still a place that reacts when you know where to poke and which string to pull. That's exactly the kind of thing Leonid McGill knows how to do. As soon as The Long Fall begins, with McGill calling in old markers and greasing NYPD palms to unearth some seemingly harmless information for a high-paying client, he learns that even in this cleaned-up city, his commitment to the straight and narrow is going to be constantly tested.

Members Reviews:

Loved it

Loved the action through out the book. I also loved how the author showed how Lenid McGill has a side of him that has compassion. Even he is a man of the streets of New York City.

SLOW and Contorted

I love mysteries and police dramas, but this is not for me. The story was convoluted, many bits of the "back story" were tossed around with insufficient explanation, underdeveloped characters, and a VERY SLOW narrator style.

A word about the narrator. He gets an A+ for distinctive voices. Possibly the best ever. BUT he spoke so slowly, leaving large gaps between words and phrases, that I was annoyed throughout. I wanted to give him a 5 for talent and a 1 for style, so I settled on a 4.

All-in-all, not a good choice for me.

I am N love!

It's been a while since I fell in love with a character. Mr. Leonid McGill is a self persecuted PI that believes he must atone for his past faults, and what woman wouldn't want a man with that much heart to do the right thing? The characters are believable and Mr. Mosley paints a picture so rich with colors and hues that you are drawn into this colorful and dangerous world.

I am on book 3 in less than 3 weeks! This is while working full time and taking 2 online classes.

Leonid come rescue me!

constant back story to do the heavy lifting.

What disappointed you about The Long Fall?

Author seems to rely way too much backstory. He keeps telling you why he's thinking this and why he's doing that and why other people are doing what they are doing. He also inserts way too many characters many of whom are poorly conjured and inconsequential leaving the reader to feel that they haven't kept track of them all. He also makes too many references to race for no apparent reason. Lastly, his analogies and similes are strange and disjointed making the description confusing. I think that there is a good story in there which could have been told in a better way.

Has The Long Fall turned you off from other books in this genre?

Not at all. Mystery and suspense is king. So many fabulous writers in the genre.

Did Mirron Willis do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

Yes. The narration wasn't really the problem.

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

Plot itself was okay.

Meh.

The narrator was ok- his accents were pretty terrible. Story was alright.