Listen to Best Full Audiobooks in Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

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Title: Mrs. Pollifax and the Whirling Dervish

Author: Dorothy Gilman

Narrator: Barbara Rosenblat

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 13 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-23-12

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 707 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

All Mrs. Pollifax has to do is help a bumbling CIA agent confirm the identities of seven undercover informants in Morocco. A simple assignment. But right away, things go wrong. The first informant is murdered just after Mrs. P. identifies him in Fez. Worse, she has the frightening sensation that her associate is not who or what he says he is.

Members Reviews:

Mrs. Pollifax rules!

What did you love best about Mrs. Pollifax and the Whirling Dervish?

While I have read all of the hard-copy books in this series, Barbara Rosenblat's narration (as always) gives these titles a life of their own. I love the fact that each of these books takes place in a different part of the world (obviously well-researched) so even if the heroine is an American housewife, the stories take on an exotic flavor that is both interesting and light-hearted. In fact, the whole premise of a middle-aged woman becoming a CIA spy is so goofy as to make Mrs. Pollifax irresistible.

What other book might you compare Mrs. Pollifax and the Whirling Dervish to and why?

My all time Audible favorites which are in the same vein are: 1) Elizabeth Peters books (only those narrated by Ms Rosenblat) which I have listened to multiple, multiple times-to include Amelia Peabody Emerson, Vickie Bliss and Jacqueline Kirby, 2) Lauren Willig's Pink Carnation series (beautifully narrated by Kate Reading), and 3) Rhys Bowen's Royal Spyness series (also listened to more than once and incomparably narrated by Kate Kellgren). All of these titles have a similar combination of humor, occasional romance, and suspense that make them worthy of hearing again and again.

Have you listened to any of Barbara Rosenblats other performances before? How does this one compare?

Barbara Rosenblat is my favorite narrator so I always enjoy her performances but I have to admit to loving those she does with a British accent, i.e., Amelia Peabody Emerson) the most. Her character delineation is without equal in my experience.

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

No - If I enjoy a book, I want to stretch out the experience.

Any additional comments?

A really good listen - well worth a credit!

Mrs. Pollifax rides again!

Mrs, Pollifax heads to Morocco on another assignment for Carstairs. But then, something happens that hasn't happened before - Mrs. P HATES the agent she is assigned to help. With good reason, as it turns out. But, with a little help from her (new) friends, Mrs. Pollifax completes her mission with her usual flair. No hats in this one, but she does get to wear a veil!

Nail-bitingly exciting!

What did you like best about this story?

The descriptions of scenery and people and action were so well-done, I felt almost more like I was watching a movie than "only listening" to a book! One thing I like about the Mrs. Pollifax books is that they are permeated with traditional values. Also, the characters are often faced with real dilemmas. I don't always know what I would do in similar situations. While the decisions are sometimes surprising, they are always wise and clever at the same time.

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Title: A Stained White Radiance

Subtitle: A Dave Robicheaux Novel, Book 5

Author: James Lee Burke

Narrator: Mark Hammer

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 11 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-26-12

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 536 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

From the best-selling author who "can touch you in ways few writers can" (The Washington Post), James Lee Burke's fifth Dave Robicheaux novel is now an audiobook.

Cajun police detective Dave Robicheaux knows the Sonnier family of New Iberia - their connections to the CIA, the mob, and to a former Klansman now running for state office. And he knows their past - as dark and murky as a night on the Louisiana bayou. An assassination attempt and the death of a cop draw Robicheaux into the Sonniers' dangerous web of madness, murder and incest. But Robicheaux has devils of his own. And they've come out of hiding to destroy the tormented investigator - and the people he holds most dear.

Filled with the usual Burke combination of brilliant action and a stunning novelistic theme, A Stained White Radiance will keep Burke's fans riveted - and win him many new ones.

Critic Reviews:

"James Lee Burke is the best writer of detective fiction on the American scene and

A Stained White Radiance is proof.... It takes the crime novel into places it's never gone before." (

San Francisco Examiner)

Members Reviews:

Poetry!

These lyrics don't need music... they sing... Or at least the late Mark Hammer sings them in a spoken voice that makes me hurt over how good it is to listen to him read Burke. Okay, there's a circle in those last words and I don't know where to cut in... anymore than I'd know how to cut a perfect diamond anywhere without losing something precious.

Please... don't read this book... Not if you haven't started with the first in the Dave Robicheaux series and earned entrance to this story. Elsewise you'll inherited too many spoilers to enjoy those early stories as Robicheaux and this ensemble cast reveal a texture richer than a dense moss hanging from a New Orleans cyprus on a hot... damp.. Dixie night.

Ooops... Burke makes me try to write like that and Hammer makes me think like that and the plotting and story arc and reflections on the human condition in these novels make me feel ... feel... Hell, they just make me feel. That's enough.

Wonderful work... enjoy!

A great writer at work here

James Lee Burke is a gifted writer, very few writers have his talent. This book takes the storyline and characters into some dysfunctional waters, there are some twists and turns and moments when you can be immersed in the world of South Louisiana and taken by the beautiful dialog and become a part of the world and scene. The series is amazing and pulls no punches in looking at uncomfortable topics. If you crave to find a writer with talent and want to be taken with great narration that is a match to some of the best dialog I have ever listened to then this is a series to get into.

Recommended enthusiastically.

Burke Never Disappoints

I came to Burke and Robicheaux in the middle of the series with The Tin Roof Blowdown the year it was Audible's best book. I was hooked and have never been disappointed since. I am well aware of the controversy over narrators Patton and Hammer and as most readers find Will Patton to be just about the perfect narrator for the Burke works, but I don't think anything is lost when Mark Hammer narrates. So, sit back and enjoy a little more of the story of Dave, Alifair (sic), Bootsie and of course, Clete Purcell. You won't be disappointed.

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Title: In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead

Subtitle: A Dave Robicheaux Novel, Book 6

Author: James Lee Burke

Narrator: Mark Hammer

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 5 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-26-12

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 416 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Now in audiobook edition, the sixth Dave Robicheaux novel by acclaimed New York Times best-selling novelist and Edgar-winner James Lee Burke.

The image of the dead girl's body lingered in detective Dave Robicheaux's mind as he drove home. After seeing the young victim's corpse, the last thing he needed to come across was a drunk driver. But when he saw the Cadillac fishtail across the road, Robicheaux knew the driver was in trouble. What Dave didn't realize, was that by pulling the car over, he was opening his murder case wider than he could ever imagine.

The driver, Elrod Sykes, in New Iberia to star in a movie, leads Dave to the skeletal remains of a black man that had washed up in the Atchafalaya swamp. So begins a mystery that takes Dave back to an unsolved murder - a murder that he witnessed in 1957. Haunted by the past as he confronts the gruesome present-day rape and murder of young prostitutes, Robicheaux must also contend with a new partner from the F.B.I., and the local criminal gentry. But for Dave, the answers he seeks lie somewhere in the bayou mist with the ghosts of soldiers long since forgotten...

A masterwork of detective fiction, In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead is James Lee Burke's most suspenseful work to date.

Members Reviews:

Burke is awesome again, Hammer is really good.

I found this story to be very entertaining and Hammer's reading surprisingly good. This is an early Robicheaux story, his daughter Alifair is only 11. I liked the inexperienced but reliable and honest sherrif', the ghost of General Hood is marvelous, the Hollywood scenes are as humorous as they are intriguing.

There is great chemistry in Dave's partnership with the FBI agent, as well as with his daughter. This is just another Burke novel worthy of anyone's time!

Great author

but Im not enjoying his subject matter and plot choices.

I love this authors writing style, the phrases he uses, his rich and creative descriptions, and the way he develops characters. In my review of Black Cherry Blues I give examples of some of his phrases. He is a great writer, but his subject matter is too depressing for me. He writes about mans cruelty to man, torture and killing of blacks, women, prisoners, and others, and getting away with it. Ive read three of his books, but with great reluctance I do not plan to read anymore.

Dave is a flawed hero but a good cop. There were two instances of hero stupidity which bothered me. One example: Dave asks his friend Lou to be his backup when Dave went to a dangerous place to meet someone. They arrive, that person is not there, so Dave tells Lou to leave but Dave will wait a little longer. So Lou leaves and then something bad happens to Dave.

I was also troubled by the way the author had Hog Man delay telling things to Dave. Hog Man knew things. But the first time Dave talks to him, Hog Man just tells him part of something. The second time, Hog Man tells Dave to come to him for info, but then doesnt tell Dave anything. The third time Hog Man calls Dave offering to tell him the rest. I didnt see a reason or motive for Hog Man to keep doing this if he was going to tell it all eventually. I felt the author was playing me, disrespecting me.

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Title: Wicked Business

Subtitle: Lizzy and Diesel, Book 2

Author: Janet Evanovich

Narrator: Lorelei King

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs

Language: English

Release date: 06-19-12

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 1109 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Whether its monkey business, funny business, or getting down to business, Janet Evanovichs Lizzy and Diesel series proves that theres no business like Wicked Business....

Lizzy Tuckers once normal life as a pastry chef in Salem, Massachusetts, turns upside down as she battles both sinister forces and an inconvenient attraction to her unnaturally talented but off-limits partner, Diesel.

When Harvard University English professor and dyed-in-the-wool romantic Gilbert Reedy is mysteriously murdered and thrown off his fourth-floor balcony, Lizzy and Diesel take up his 20-year quest for the Luxuria Stone, an ancient relic believed by some to be infused with the power of lust.

Following clues contained in a cryptic 19th-century book of sonnets, Lizzy and Diesel tear through Boston catacombs, government buildings, and multimillion-dollar residences. On their way theyll leave behind a trail of robbed graves, public disturbances, and general mayhem.

Diesels black sheep cousin, Gerwulf Grimoire, also wants the Stone. His motives are far from pure, and what he plans on doing with the treasure, no one knows... but Lizzy Tucker fears shes in his crosshairs. Never far and always watching, Grimoire has a growing, vested interest in the cupcake-baker-turned-finder-of-lost-things - as does another dangerous and dark opponent in the hunt, a devotee of lawlessness and chaos known only as Anarchy.

Treasures will be sought, and the power of lust will be unmistakable as Lizzy and Diesel attempt to stay ahead of Anarchy, Grimoire, and his medieval minion, Hatchet, in this ancient game of twisted riddles and high-stakes hide-and-seek.

Members Reviews:

Not so wicked..

I have been a big fan of the Stephanie Plum series for many years and I consider Lorelei King one of the finest narrators I've ever heard. I read Wicked Appetite in written form and enjoyed that very much so I was really looking forward to this book. Unfortunately I found it to be a disappointment. This book just doesn't have the fun and excitement of the Plum series or the first book in this series. Carl, (the monkey), was fun in the first book but seems somewhat slow and stupid in this one. Maybe because I read the first and listened to the second? Worth listening to anyway, if only because of the reader.

Not her best

I usually read epic fantasy, but for years now I have enjoyed diving into a Janet Evanovich book for some light, action packed fun. Her books are laugh-out-loud funny. I love Diesel in the "Between the Plums" books with Stephanie, and the first in this series was worth the listen (even if not quite as good as the Plum books). This one however, falls short. It never caught my attention and it took me weeks to listen to the whole thing because I kept switching to other things. The humor was not fresh, more like leftovers from the first book. And it seemed the book couldn't decide if Wolf was still the bad guy or not. Overall, I don't think I will continue with this series. I'll stick with Stephanie Plum.

Not wicked enough!

This series is like a less exciting and less sexy version of the Stephanie Plum series.

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Title: The Scarlet Ruse

Subtitle: A Travis McGee Novel, Book 14

Author: John D. MacDonald

Narrator: Robert Petkoff

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 51 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-10-12

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 179 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Travis McGee is too busy with his houseboat to pay attention to the little old man with the missing postage stamps. Except these are no ordinary stamps. They are rare stamps. Four hundred thousand dollars worth of rare. And if McGee doesn't recognize their value, perhaps Mary Alice McDermit, a six-foot knockout who knows all the ways to a boat bum's heart, will. Only it's not McGee's heart that's in danger. Because a syndicate killer has put a contract on McGee. A killer who knows a thing or two about stamps...and even more about McGee.

Members Reviews:

This Is Not Great Literature, BUT..........

JDM's McGee books are all essentially cookie-cutter versions of one another. But thay are all tremendously entertaining and as readable as books come. The difference, what makes MacDonald great, is that each one is as interesting as the last, on and on and on. Unlike the Child/Reacher series that has gone blasé and predictable to a fault, the McGee adventures never fail to entertain and enlighten.

These books are not as politically correct as most are today (so as not to offend our tender sensibilities) but frankly I don't give a damn. It is intelligent testosterone with a big spash of philosophy. I love them all.

And Robert Petkoff IS Travis and Meyer and the rest. Possibly the premier match between pen and voice to date!

Friends help move, great friends help move bodies!

Starts off slow, but builds to a VERY powerful climax. I learned more than I ever wanted to know about stamp collecting, but it was worth the trip. It starts off as sort of a "locked room mystery," but soon turns into thrill ride through organized crime and psychopathic killers. The end left me wondering how in the Hell Travis is going to survive seven more books! Not my favorite overall, but this one has a lot going for it.

McGee Collects Stamps

"It's always better when you don't have to give a damn."

- John D. MacDonald, The Scarlet Ruse

If Philatelic Beach Noir is your gig, this book is for you. I guess in the age (1972) before block chain technology and Bitcoins, stamps seem a very likely avenue for moving large amounts of money from one country to the next. MacDonald flushes this idea out and weaves into it: the Mob, women, and Meyer (a trusty economist friend). MacDonald is hanging out in Florida, which usually is my favorite setting for the owner of the Busted Flush.

The plot is interesting and novel, the characters are round, and MacDonald nails the details. I enjoyed it and don't remember being too turned off by MacDonald's usual treatment of women.

A fun book

I first read most of John D McDonald's novels at first printing. This book was a fun read then. Today, I listened to the audio version and enjoyed it for some of the same reasons, but I found any references to cost, technology, and the relative values of the time most interesting. To say I was impressed with the plot/story line, writing today as much as I did in the 60's would be misleading. JOHN D. just doesn't match up to current mystery writers like Vince Flynn, Tom Clancy, or even Clive Cussler. However, this is still a fun read.

best of all

love the series and this one was a favorite, quaint and charming in a retro way

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Title: A Purple Place for Dying

Subtitle: A Travis McGee Novel, Book 3

Author: John D. MacDonald

Narrator: Robert Petkoff

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 14 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-13-12

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 544 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

A Purple Place for Dying finds Travis McGee witness to a murder he can't prove and a kidnapping nobody wants to believe. McGee becomes a pawn between a wealthy Southwestern patriarch, the law, and a mysterious gang bent on insurance fraud. Just the kind of thing McGee revels in!

Critic Reviews:

"[T]he great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller." (Stephen King)

"[M]y favorite novelist of all time." (Dean Koontz)

"[W]hat a joy that these timeless and treasured novels are available again." (Ed McBain)

Members Reviews:

A man from the first half of the 20th century

These are classic mystery stories written at a time when $10,000.00 was equal to $100,000.00 in today dollars. Also men and women had different rolls. If you take that into the balance of the story, you can enjoy the mystery, and how Trav solves each problem he encounters. I have started with book one, and have now completed book 7. They all get better I have found. Just have to get used to some of the dated language and interplay between characters. It's not 2012, but late 1960's. I still find the stories really well written and have enough mystery and strange turns of events to make each Travis McGee story a gem.

Can't go far wrong

between John D. MacDonald and Robert Petkoff ! I read all the Travis McGee books back in the eighties, and now am rereading, er listening to, them, one by one. No question but that popular attitudes (towards women, for example) have changed immensely since these were written back in the fifties and sixties, but some things never change, and it is these things that interested MacDonald. Now they're period pieces, but the crisp prose and keen insight bestow extra value and style. Recommended.

My favorite so far

This one has our "Beach Bum" hero in a western city surrounded by desert. The action starts off fast and every time I thought I had figured out who the bad guy was, they got killed! This story really keeps you thinking!

Well written and narrated detective series

What a series this is turning out to be. I am enjoying every aspect of the Travis McGee books. Beautifully written -- no mere narration here -- but phrases replete with layers of meaning and images.

Thoughtful life philosophies are thrown into the mix and offer depth to McGee's motives. The characters are fully engaging -- ok, questionable stereotyping at time, but hey, these books were written between 1964 and 1986 and reflect the times. And what times: private investigators in all sorts of trouble and without mobile phones, the internet -- and roaming throughout society unimpeded by privacy policies and call centres.

Furthermore, Life is interpreted by Travis Mcgee with practical philosophies based on really living.

The plots are intriguing and plausibler. The author gently concludes each novel -- lets the main theme ebb away, and the characters have time to themselves to assimilate the invariably tempestuous events into their lives.

And finally to the narrator. Well, he has had mixed reviews on Audible, but and I think he is excellent. Firstly he manages the voices very well. Secondly he has an easy, relaxed pace that reflects the text.

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Title: Nightmare in Pink

Subtitle: A Travis McGee Novel, Book 2

Author: John D. MacDonald

Narrator: Robert Petkoff

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 42 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-13-12

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 752 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Nina - a career girl living alone in Manhattan - offers Travis McGee companionship and the first loose thread in the elaborate fabric of a gigantic swindle. Now, she's leading McGee on a wild and tortuous chase into the decadent world of high society, the ruthless world of big money, and the weird world of hallucinatory drugs.

Critic Reviews:

"[T]he great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller." (Stephen King)

"[M]y favorite novelist of all time." (Dean Koontz)

"[W]hat a joy that these timeless and treasured novels are available again." (Ed McBain)

Members Reviews:

Trav McGee just gets better

This is book 2 in series, and it's better than the first. I think the narrator does a great job with voices that convey, not only attitude, but the language of the time. How often do you hear some one call another "darling" in 2012. These are period mysteries and as such you have to take that into account. If you're not familiar with the detective genre of the 50's and 60's then this might not be for you. I'm loving it and find so far each book has been better than last. I'm up to the fourth book in series and I am truly enjoying.

Great escape fiction that will take you back.

John MacDonald's creation of Travis McGee took me back to a time when I wore a younger man's clothes (as the song says). It was a time win one had to go to a land line to make a phone call and men and women lived in very strict observance of certain imagined roles for the sexes. Travis McGee is that macho, trouble shooter who is also caring and compassionate and the women in his life are "very female" but surprisingly tough in their own way. After all life is never as neat and clean as it should be and the tasks the main charter takes on are never as neat and clean as they should be either. The plot is always fast moving and the presentation of the characters by Robert Petkoff adds to the whole. So take an afternoon and step back to a world where absolutes still exist and let your memory and imagination play with each other. I liked it and I hope you do too.

Love Overcomes All

What made the experience of listening to Nightmare in Pink the most enjoyable?

Been a fan of Travis McGee since I was young. To be able to listen to them today is a true joy. Robert Perkoff's narration combined with MacDonald's outstanding writing makes this series a must read - over and over again.

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

Of course not. You know how these series work out. What makes them enjoyable is seeing how Travis handles each situation and survives. The books are enjoyable because of the storyline, not the ending.

Which character as performed by Robert Petkoff was your favorite?

I liked Teri. An older lady who is famous and wealthy trying to hold onto her youth. Crusty, crabby, aloof, and desperate. Used to getting what she wants, and determined to get Travis... whatever the cost.

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

Absolutely. The length makes that possible, but not practical. So I did it in 2 sittings. And enjoyed every minute. Looking forward to book #3 in the series - A Purple Place for Dying.

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Title: Blue Monday

Subtitle: Frieda Klein, Book 1

Author: Nicci French

Narrator: Beth Chalmers

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 14 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-01-12

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1228 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

The stunning first book in a new series of psychological thrillers introducing an unforgettable London psychotherapist.

Frieda Klein is a solitary, incisive psychotherapist who spends her sleepless nights walking along the ancient rivers that have been forced underground in modern London. She believes that the world is a messy, uncontrollable place, but what we can control is what is inside our heads. This attitude is reflected in her own life, which is an austere one of refuge, personal integrity, and order.

The abduction of five-year-old Matthew Farraday provokes a national outcry and a desperate police hunt. And when his face is splashed over the newspapers, Frieda cannot ignore the coincidence: one of her patients has been having dreams in which he has a hunger for a child. A red-haired child he can describe in perfect detail, a child the spitting image of Matthew. She finds herself in the center of the investigation, serving as the reluctant sidekick of the chief inspector.

Drawing listeners into a haunting world in which the terrors of the mind have spilled over into real life, Blue Monday introduces a compelling protagonist and a chilling mystery that will appeal to listeners of dark crime fiction and fans of In Treatment and The Killing.

Members Reviews:

Not in the same league as Tana French, but okay.

This book was recommended at the end of Tana French's Broken Harbor. I allowed myself hope, but alas, the story was just okay and very predictable. The dialog was on the weak side, suspension or reality was high and the characters seemed a little forced.

Overall there were points that were gripping, but to many others where I had to rewind because I drifted into my own thoughts.

Don't know if I will try the second in the series.

Engrossing thriller - an easy "read"

I often listen to books when I'm doing something else: walking the dog, stuck in traffic, doing housework. I listen on my smart phone with ear plugs. So I like books that capture my imagination from the get-go but also "easy" to follow along. For instance, I love Balzac but I'm not listening to one of his novels while doing housework! I'd get lost.

I enjoy thrillers because when done well they are zippy and engrossing. This is the first in a series with psychologist Dr. Frieda Klein. So there is some ground work laid with the characters who will be regulars, like Frieda's mentor and also, her handyman. Their storylines aren't germane to this plot, really, so the introductions are a bit awkward. But after that business is done, the plot gets going and moves along. Overall, I'd say the book was well written. I was never bored or tempted to "fast forward". I very much liked Frieda as a protagonist. She's flawed but principled. Although, Frieda makes some very questionable ethical choices when it comes to her profession. In the US you might get your medical license revoked. But I am aware that Brits have different rules when it comes to medicine, especially "public" medicine that is paid for by the government.

I am not sure what the complaints are in some other reviews about the narrator. I loved her, I thought she did a great job with all the voices, both men and women.

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Title: The Mermaids Singing

Author: Val McDermid

Narrator: Graham Roberts

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 11 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-29-12

Publisher: Dreamscape Media, LLC

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 726 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

The bodies of four men have been discovered in the town of Bradfield. Enlisted to investigate is criminal psychologist Tony Hill. Even for a seasoned professional, the series of mutilation sex murders is unlike anything he's encountered before. But profiling the psychopath is not beyond him. Hill's own past has made him the perfect man to comprehend the killer's motives. It's also made him the perfect victim. A game has begun for the hunter and the hunted. But as Hill confronts his own hidden demons, he must also come face-to-face with an evil so profound he may not have the courage - or the power - to stop it....

Critic Reviews:

"Complex...powerful...psychologically terrifying...impossible to put down." (Publishers Weekly)

"Exciting, rapid-fire...a satisfying descent into the territory of a twisted mind." (Booklist )

"Compelling and shocking." (Minette Walters)

Members Reviews:

The First of a Superior Series

I purchased The Mermaids Singing partially because of the reviews I read on Audible, but probably more because Val McDermid seemed to be the favorite mystery author of Mikael Blomqvist in The Millenium Trilogy (The Girl With .....). Now that I have read all of the Tony Hill/Carol Jordan books to date (a new one is due later this year), I felt it was time to write a review of the first book.

McDermid writes wonderful prose that makes her characters come alive -- all of them, not just the two major characters. I won't try to tell you about the plot, since many other reviews do that. But the development of the plot, along with the minutiae of each character's life and personality, make for excellent reading. McDermid creates a tight, incredibly tense story that keeps you reading, sometimes even when you don't want to.

If you are averse to graphic depictions of violence and perversion, you may want to skip this series. But if that's not a problem, I highly recommend these books. In Tony Hill, McDermid has created a flawed and damaged character who still manages to live in the world and work for the forces of good as a Profiler, expert at his work because of his scarred past. The relationship of Tony and Carol Jordan, police inspector, is so tentative and slow moving that you sometimes could scream, but you keep waiting for it to progress. The pair pursues serial killers in plots that will keep you on the edge of your seat with your jaw clenched.

It is important that you read the Tony Hill/Carol Jordan books in the order in which they were published, since these are not stand alone novels. The characters and their relationships and pasts are developed over the course of the series, and reading out of order makes it more difficult to follow some developments.

Not for the squeamish

Would you listen to The Mermaids Singing again? Why?

My brother-in-law recommended Val McDermid to me, so I downloaded this, the first in the Hill-Jordan series. I almost stopped reading it because of the graphic descriptions of gruesome and sadistic tortures. I did finish the book, though, and even bought another, in the hope that maybe the author would realize that she didn't need to make her murders so graphic in order to write a gripping thriller.

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Title: Taken

Subtitle: An Elvis Cole - Joe Pike Novel, Book 15

Author: Robert Crais

Narrator: Luke Daniels

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 47 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-24-12

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 1064 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Crais has never written a book with the power and intensity of Taken.

When Nita Morales hires Elvis Cole to find her missing adult daughter, she isnt afraid, even though shes gotten a phone call asking for ransom. She knows its a fake, that her daughter is off with the guy Nita will call only "that boy", and that they need money: "Even smart girls do stupid things when they think a boy loves them."

But she is wrong. The girl and her boyfriend have been taken by bajadores - bandits who prey on other bandits, border professionals who prey not only on innocent victims, but on one another. They steal drugs, guns, and people - buying and selling victims like commodities, and killing the ones they cant get a price for.

Cole and Pike find the spot where the couple were taken. There are tire tracks, bullet casings, and bloodstains. They know things look as bad as possible.

But they are wrong, too. It is about to get much worse. Going undercover to find the couple and buy them back, Cole himself is taken, and disappears. Now it is up to Joe Pike to retrace Coles steps, burning through the hard and murderous world of human traffickers to find his friend. But he may already be too late.

Thrilling, emotional, passionate, with some of the best characters and well-crafted writing in all of crime fiction, Taken is further proof that "Crais just keeps getting better." (Publishers Weekly).

Members Reviews:

One of the best

Can't miss with Joe and Elvis, good narrator but you'd think an author would pick one reader and stick with them. One of the best of the series.

Another Enjoyable Cole and Pike novel

I have been reading the Cole/Pike series for years and greatly enjoy it. This one was right up there with the others. I found it interesting how it was told in a timeline of before and after Cole was taken by the "bad guys". Cole is a lot of fun, love his irreverant sense of humor. Pike is an interesting character who I would love to see more about.

The story was interesting and kept my attention while listening. You know that ultimately Pike will rescue Cole but you don't know what will happen to the characters who were taken.

It also makes you think about the struggles faced by people who try to come to the US illegally.

Good enjoyable story.

Better Example

It may be that the narrator plays a larger part than usual in the rating of this book/series. Nevertheless, this is one of the better examples of Crais's talent and this series.

Interesting

Luke Daniels did a good job narrating this story. Crais not only told an interesting story but address an important issue for the country and a big problem for CA, AZ, NM & Tx. Covering such a violent topic the usual humor of Cole was toned down. Every one should read this book and think about how to solve this societal problem.

One of the best Elvis Cole/Joe Pike Novels

I have read or listened to all of the Cole/Pike books by Robert Crais and am a big fan. Taken was one of his best. Human trafficking is one of the most despicable offenses that man commits against his fellow man and Crais exposes it in all its ugliness. But with Cole's quirky personality, the book is not so dark as to be depressing. Like all of Crais' books, they keep moving, never becoming bogged down in sub-plots or details that take away from a book.