Listen to Best Sellers Audiobooks in Fiction, Literary

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Title: No One Writes to the Colonel, and Other Stories

Author: Gabriel García Márquez

Narrator: Armando Durán, Roxanne Hernandez, Marcelo Tubert, Thom Rivera

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 46 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-15-13

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 75 votes

Genres: Fiction, Literary

Publisher's Summary:

From the Nobel Prize-winning author of One Hundred Years of Solitude, a series of short stories told in "spare, unpretentiouspicturesque prose" (Library Journal).

Written with compassionate realism and wit, the stories in this mesmerizing collection depict the disparities of town and village life in South America, of the frightfully poor and outrageously rich, of memories and illusions, and of lost opportunities and present joys. Stories include "No One Writes to the Colonel", "Tuesday Siesta", "One of These Days", "There Are No Thieves in This Town", "Balthazar's Marvelous Afternoon", "Montiel's Widow", "One Day After Saturday", "Artificial Roses", and "Big Mama's Funeral".

Members Reviews:

Great book.

Great writing and great performance. Might I suggest a little more time before the following story begins. Give the reader a chance to ponder.

great stories

love Gabriel Garcia Marquez's stories. I could listen all day. I only wish there was a clear notice when the stories changed.

Fun little stories

What made the experience of listening to No One Writes to the Colonel, and Other Stories the most enjoyable?

The stories were short and enjoyable, and some of them tied into other GGM works (particularly One Hundred Years of Solitude).

Who was your favorite character and why?

Rebeca Buendia, a carryover from One Hundred Years of Solitude, because I liked hearing from her again.

Which character as performed by the narrators was your favorite?

Gotta go with Rebeca again.

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

There were plenty of parts that made me laugh!

Any additional comments?

Fun short stories!

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Title: The Translator

Author: Leila Aboulela

Narrator: Judith West

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 48 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-23-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 2 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Fiction, Literary

Publisher's Summary:

Here is Leila Aboulela's extraordinarily assured debut about a widowed Muslim mother living in Aberdeen who falls in love with a Scottish secular academic. Sammar is a Sudanese widow working as an Arabic translator at a Scottish university. Since the sudden death of her husband, her young son has gone to live with family in Khartoum, leaving Sammar alone in cold, gray Aberdeen, grieving and isolated. But when she begins to translate for Rae, a Scottish Islamic scholar, the two develop a deep friendship that awakens in Sammar all the longing for life she has repressed. As Rae and Sammar fall in love, she knows they will have to address his lack of faith in all that Sammar holds sacred. An exquisitely crafted meditation on love, both human and divine, The Translator is ultimately the story of one womans courage to stay true to her beliefs, herself, and her newfound love.

Members Reviews:

Religious enlightenment

New understanding of Islam and insight into a woman 's life dedicated to Allah. She became a stronger person by the last chapter and won my admiration

A lovely stranger in a cold, strange land

The Translator is one of the best novels I've ever read. Leila Aboulela is a beautiful, honest writer who gave me a hundred precious, wise, funny insights into Islam, Sudanese family life and Western culture as viewed by a non-Westerner. It's not just the character of Sammar, whose goodness is striking but not perfect, or the character of Rae, whose opinions made me love him. Her novel had the ring of authenticity and believability, not an easy feat anyway, but especially in the current geopolitical climate, nor among Muslims who wish to show only flawless personifications of Islam. And yet she managed to write a "halal" novel in English. It is a blessing for English speakers who seek to understand Islam through a Muslim's eyes. I also can recommend Ms. Aboulela's collection of short stories, Coloured Lights, and her second novel, Minaret. Inside are all wonderful, genuine examples of Islam and the West meeting, circling each other warily, touching, and being surprised by what they find.

Good

Good for researches on post colonial novels!

I liked The Minaret more than this one. However, it's very well written.

Very good novel.

A very important, and very profound book.

a good read

This is a very beautifully written novel. There is something in the rhythm of the prose and choice of words that makes it a truly outstanding work. It is obvious that Ms. Aboulela is a very gifted writer. The story has some flaws, but ultimately one can argue that the sole goal was to portray a state of mind of a religious person in love with a "non-believer". The other side of the story ("his" story) is not very clear and, for an expert on Islam, he really has very little to say throughout the entire novel. I imagined a novel with a strong intellectual angle (one of the main character is a professor!). Another possibility was an "immigrant story".

Instead, I found irresistibly beautiful lyricism. What I especially liked was that Aboulela knows how to communicate beyond words. She writes about dignity, forgiveness, patience, trust, or hope without specifically naming them.

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Title: Household Saints

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Francine Prose

Narrator: Emily Durante

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 36 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-23-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Fiction, Literary

Publisher's Summary:

The setting is New York's Little Italy in the 1950's - a community closely knit by gossip and tradition. This is the story of an extraordinary family, the Santangelos. There is Joseph, the butcher, who cheats in his shop and at pinochle, only to find the deck is stacked against him; his mother, Mrs. Santangelo, who sees the evil eye everywhere and who calls on her saints; and Catherine, his wife, whose determination to raise a modern daughter leads her to confront ancient questions. Finally, there is Theresa, Joseph and Catherine's daughter, whose astonishing discovery of purpose moves the audiobook toward its unpredictable conclusion.

Members Reviews:

Transparent

I've heard the phrase 'limpid prose,' but until I read this book by the aptly-named writer, I really didn't know what it meant. Now I think I understand. Absolutely nothing gets in the way between the reader and the story. No distractions of awkward wording, no jarring images to pull the reader out of the book, no awareness of how clever the writer is. Just pure, instant transfer of story from writer to reader. I lost awareness that I was reading a book. I was living inside the story. I knew the basics from seeing the wonderful movie adaptation with Vincent D'onofrio and Tracy Ullman, so I knew I would like it. When the book turned up on one of my bargain book deals, I took a chance. Ms Prose doesn't need any boost from me, but she get my vote for one of the best writers I've ever read. She is a marvel.

Five Stars

great novel

Really, two related novellas

After reading Francine Prose's highly entertaining and well written novel, "Blue Angel," I felt compelled to order a number of her other novels which I've decided to read by order of publication. "Household Saints," (published in 1981) did not disapoint. Although the first and second half of the book contain the same characters, thy're quite different which is why I think they can be treated as separate novellas. The first revolves around the rather pedestrian life of Joseph Santangelo, a butcher in Little Italy in the 1950's, his friends, fiancee Catherine, and mother, who is probably the most colorful character of all. The story takes off when we spend time with Mrs. Santangelo, Joseph's mom, a highly superstitious woman, but oddly sensible in her own way.

In the second part, Joseph and Catherine, now married, have to contend with their increasingly religious and strange daughter, Theresa, who appears to be channeling her now deceased grandmother, but carrying her superstitious/religious ways to an absurd extreme. Just as Joseph and Catherine were powerless to change Mrs. Santangelo's old world views, they are even more powerless to prevent their daughter from sinking into a world of delusion.

My only criticism of "Household Saints," is that I never felt I truly knew any of the main characters other than Mrs. Santangelo. This was especially true of Catherine who seemed a completely different person in the two parts of the book. Perhaps a middle "bridge" section might have helped. However, I wholeheartedly recommend the novel, and look forward to seeing the 1993 movie which starred Tracy Ullman as Catherine.

Definitely not the worst book I've ever read

Definitely not the worst book I've ever read, but I had a hard time getting through it.

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Title: Edisto

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Padgett Powell

Narrator: Liam Aiken

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 17 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-15-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Fiction, Literary

Publisher's Summary:

Padgett Powell has received the Prix de Rome of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, a Whiting Writer`s Award, and a nomination for the National Book Award. He teaches in Gainesville, Florida, where he was born in 1952. His work has appeared in The New Yorker, Esquire, Harper`s, and many other periodicals.

Simons Everson Manigault ("You say it `Simmons.` I`m a rare one-m Simons") lives with his mother, an eccentric professor (known as the Duchess), on an isolated and undeveloped strip of South Carolina coast. Convinced that her son can be a writer of genius, the Duchess has immersed Simons in the literary classics since birth ("Like some kids swat mobiles, I was to thumb pages") and has given him free rein to gather materials in such spots as the Baby Grand, a local black nightclub. ("It was an assignment. I`m supposed to write. I`m supposed to get good at it.")

Although possessed of a vocabulary and sophistication beyond his years, Simons feels the normal adolescent bewilderment about the behavior of his parents. His conventional father, the Progenitor, has recently left the family in a dispute over Simon`s upbringing and has moved to nearby Hilton Head, where he would like to see his son raised among the orthodox surroundings of condominiums, country clubs, and private schools. At the book`s center is Taurus, an enigmatic father-surrogate who tutors the boy in the art of watching the world without presumption.

Edisto is, as Walker Percy observed, "a truly remarkable first novel, both as a narrative and in its extraordinary use of language. It reminds one of The Catcher in the Rye, but it`s better - sharper, funnier, and more poignant."

Members Reviews:

An unusual volume. Stream of conscience in a way ...

An unusual volume. Stream of conscience in a way. The narrative voice is clear and as curious as the reader. I look forward to more of Powell's work.

Not captivating

Not interesting , did not finish.

Three Stars

not bad but no earth shaker either

Latest edition of a book so worthy of reprint

How Grand (pun intended â read the book and you'll see) to have this book come out again and have excuse to read it once more. I am immediately drawn to revisit the Powell canon, for immersion back into this book was quite a delay and fully justifies its reemergence. This book is exquisitely chock-full of transitions. Simons (pronounced with a second m) is a twelve year-old on the cusp of knowing his own body changes dwelling in the interim of a trial separation at a beach house lousy with remnants of the Old South, its class and ethnic structures. Simons is an erudite and wizened in his own way, but only to his immediate surroundings.

Thus enters a mysterious man Simons dubs Taurus, possibly with roots in the North, possibly of mixed heritage, and the journey begins. Powell stamps his linguistic passport early and often, weaving together phrases and sentences that will require your full attention, as folks at the end of the day can still find themselves ratified by the lunchtime mullet and the ground can be moon-pocked by a hard rain the night before. Read it slowly and with your eyes and ears wide open, and neither Simons nor Powell will disappoint.

Too boring.

I didn't even finish this book. Too boring.

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Titel: The light betweeen oceans

Autor:: M. L. Stedman

Erzähler: Stephan Benson

Format: Unabridged

Spieldauer: 12 hrs and 20 mins

Sprache: Deutsch

Veröffentlichungsdatum: 09-23-13

Herausgeber: Random House Audio, Deutschland

Bewertung: 5 von 5 von 2 Stimmen

Kategorien: Fiction, Literary

Zusammenfassung des Herausgebers:

Auf einer abgelegenen Insel im Westen Australiens arbeitet Tom Sherbourne als Leuchtturmwärter. Mit seiner Frau Isabel führt er ein erfülltes Leben fern des Trubels einer Welt im Umbruch. Nur eines trübt ihr Glück: Ein Kind bleibt ihnen verwehrt. Bis sie eines Morgens am Strand ein Ruderboot entdecken, in dem die Leiche eines Mannes liegt - und ein neugeborenes Baby. Während Tom die Küstenwache alarmieren will, schließt Isabel das kleine Mädchen in die Arme - und für immer in ihr Herz. Gegen Toms Willen nehmen sie das Kind als ihr eigenes an und nennen es Lucy. Zwei Jahre später kehren sie aufs Festland zurück - und müssen erkennen, dass ihre Entscheidung das Leben eines anderen Menschen zerstört hat.

Mitglieder Bewertungen:

Overall very good. The descriptions and scene setting were phenomenal

Overall very good. The descriptions and scene setting were phenomenal, and I think I've learned more about lighthouses than I ever cared to know, but oh well. While I loved the characters and development of Tom (husband, assumed father) and Hannah (actual mother), Isabel's (wife, assumed mother) character rubbed me the wrong way, particularly towards the end. I don't want to spoil anything but her actions between the last third of the book and about 10 pages from the end irked me - she was very spiteful. And yes, I was ugly crying by the end.

You know going in...

...that there simply cannot be a happy ending to this book, if there's going to be a story at all. I knew it when I read the synopsis. The lighthouse and its isolated island are the perfect backdrop and symbols for a story infused with loneliness and sorrow. Life is about what we cannot control (miscarriages; a baby showing up in a boat with a dead man) and what we can (choosing to keep the baby). If we choose to keep steering toward the rocks, knowing all along that the lighthouse is warning us away, tragedy will strike. While the subject matter is heavy and dark with grief, the story is one of those that will draw you in, mix up your moral compass, and have you asking, "what if..."

Easily one of the best books I have read

Review by Donn G. Ziebell, Ph.D., Never kicked by a horse nor a mule, and author of the 5-Star non-fiction Amazon book,â My Letters to a Prisoner -- I had not met.â Become an insider to the humor and private life of the writerâs encounters and adventures home and abroad; a selection from over 100 letters written in six years. Each letter is a different and interesting story.

My review tile falls a zillion words short for this wonderful Amazon book. This is a real grabber and it is hard to put the book down. The emotions within the words fashioned together will flow through your heart, mind and the depth of your soul. It touches so deeply that it flushes out tear ducts a few times and it is good therapy that everyone should experience.

I have a vivid imagination as an artist and reading this book was like seeing a movie with beauty, love, pain, joy, and more from which you cannot withhold for being involved intimately with the main characters. What amazes is that this is the author's first book and I can not image her to be able to ever exceed the quality of the story in this book.

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Title: Nine Inches

Subtitle: Stories

Author: Tom Perrotta

Narrator: Rupert Degas, William Dufris, Andi Arndt, Tom Perrotta

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 54 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-10-13

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 51 votes

Genres: Fiction, Literary

Publisher's Summary:

Audie Award Finalist, Short Stories/Collections, 2014

The new collection from the New York Times best-selling author of The Leftovers and Little Children, featuring stories focusing on Perrotta's familiar suburban nuclear families.

Tom Perrottas first book, Bad Haircut, consisted of linked stories featuring a shared protagonist. Now, 19 years later, he has written and compiled his first true short story collection. This 12 story book features a group set in Perrottas trademark suburban setting, focusing on the fissures in families and unexpected connections among members of typical American communities, including Senior Season and "Nine Inches".

Others offerings here showcase Perrotta's assured, smooth writing, but may surprise fans with new protagonists and concerns. One of these twistier stories is The Smile on Happy Changs Face, which was the Boston Book Festivals first all-city One City, One Story selection in 2010.

Following up on his dramatic and bestselling novel The Leftovers, which is being developed by HBO as a series, Nine Inches is a varied and interesting audiobook from one of our most thoughtful and elegant writers.

Members Reviews:

great short stories capture modern day life

These short stories try to capture modern life for teens and adults. They succeed with both. Many of there are absolutely phenomenal. Many are very good. Some were good but forgettable. A short story has to draw in the reader very quickly. These did so. Believable characters combine with interesting situations. It's impossible to rate a short story collection, because all stories will never be great. That was the case here. But I rated this 5 stars because the very best stories were just so good, and I cannot remember reading or listening to a book of short stories that I enjoyed as much. I will definitely explore this author further!

Where's the rest?

I enjoyed the writing and each of the stories but I want to know more! I'm not sure how the different stories connect, it feels unfinished, maybe I need to listen again...

Wonderful collection

Perrotta's stories are first rate. I repeatedly found myself drawn to his characters, sympathizing with their broken relationships and celebrating their triumphs, however subtle. The collection is so good I'm sorry to have finished.

Bittersweet

Would you listen to Nine Inches again? Why?

Although these stories are somewhat sad, they are also compelling. I was sorry when I got to the end, I enjoyed listening to them so much.

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Title: Pulp

Author: Charles Bukowski

Narrator: Christian Baskous

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 38 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-13-13

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 87 votes

Genres: Fiction, Literary

Publisher's Summary:

Opening with the exotic Lady Death entering the gumshoe-writer's seedy office in pursuit of a writer named Celine, this novel demonstrates Bukowski's own brand of humour and realism, opening up a landscape of seamy Los Angeles.

Members Reviews:

Bukowskis worst.......still pretty good

This book was entertaining in its own right, however I would not recommended for new bukowski readers. Read Ham on Rye.

The sick imaginations of a horny drunkard

The conclusion was underwhelming. The story was engaging and tolerable, and the performance was good too. I can't deny though that I snickered a few times at the prejudious descriptions of some dumbwhitted characters.

All style and no story!

This is all style and no story, but I think that is totally the intention. Charles Bukowski states in the very beginning that the book is dedicated to bad writing and that's what he delivers in celebration of the pulp genre.

Christian Baskous delivers the characters in the voice of Bukowski masterfully.

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Title: Shoedog

Author: George Pelecanos

Narrator: Dan Woren

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 10 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-06-13

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Fiction, Literary

Publisher's Summary:

Like the kind of cars they don't make anymore and the kind of songs they don't sing, the novels of George Pelecanos have the style, rhythm and muscle of classics. Shoedog is vintage Pelecanos: a tale that throbs with soul and pulsates with menace.

Constantine was born in D.C., and has been traveling the world ever since-finding everything but a home. Randolph has stayed in this city every day, selling shoes in a downtown store, taking care of ladies who lie about their sizes and sometimes fit him into their beds. Now these two strangers, one white, one black, have come together in a criminal's audacious plan.

With five partners and the hit ready to go down, Constantine doesn't understand the treacheries, feuds and fantasies swirling around him-and he's fallen for a woman who only doubles his risk. But Randolph, a self-confessed "shoedog," can smell trouble a mile away. And when the shooting starts, he'll give Constantine a chance to live-or die where he was born.

Members Reviews:

Average Pelecanos - which means it's still pretty darn good

George Pelecanos may be the best writer currently working in the noir tradition. An aimless young hitchhiker finds himself drawn into a plot to rob a pair of liquor stores in DC. Plenty of snappy dialogue & realistic violence. The plotline is not one of Pelecanos's best - at one point, a very bad guy is tasked with killing off the (anti-)hero, but just takes him on in a fistfight instead, which is completely out of character. The story is rich in local color & period detail - especially cars, clothing & music - & almost every man in the story has a believable life of his (unfortunately, never her) own. That last is my only quibble with Pelecanos's books - his women seem to exist only in relation to their men, & we are told next to nothing about them. I wish he'd make a little more effort to portray his women's interior lives with as much detail as he does their hairstyles.

It's not deep, but it's still a great piece of classically influenced neo-noir

Shoedog couldn't have a more archetypal B-movie film noir storyline: a wandering hitchhiker gets picked up by a man who gets him involved with a powerful crime boss, a series of robberies, and a crew of thieves with their own private agendas and codes. But you know what? Archetypes aren't always bad, and when they're done with this much fun and style, it's hard to complain too much. Shoedog isn't as rich and rewarding as Pelecanos's best work; gone are the societal depictions, gone are the complex motivations and moral shades of gray. But in their place is a really fun read, with colorful characters, great conversations, some hard, hard men, and a slew of betrayals and private power games. The end result is a fun crime read, particularly if you're a fan of noir, be it classic or neo. Don't expect the greatness of Pelecanos's later work, but if you set that aside, you'll find this one to be a really enjoyable read that wraps up with a bit of a surprisingly abrupt ending.

Good story, great characters

In "Shoedog" author George Pelicanos nails the Washington DC of the 1990s as the background for his entertaining story of the planning and execution of two liquor-store heists that include hard-boiled characters and a dark eminence pulling the strings.

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Title: The First

Subtitle: A Prequel to 'The Returned'

Author: Jason Mott

Narrator: Victor Bevine

Format: Unabridged

Length: 33 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-05-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 659 votes

Genres: Fiction, Literary

Publisher's Summary:

In Jason Mott's haunting and unforgettable debut novel, The Returned, an impossible miracle is occurring all across the globe. Read how it all begins in this short story, The First.

It's been just over a year since Edmund Blithe died, and just over a month since his fiancee, Emily, stopped wearing her engagement ring. Emily has finally begun to move on Until Edmund mysteriously and inexplicably returns, sending the world - and Emily - into a tailspin.

Edmund is only just the beginning. Around the world, people's loved ones are returning from beyond, seeking only to reenter the lives they left behind. As the world dives deep into uncertainty, Emily and Edmund are determined to find their way back to one anothereven if it means risking everything.

The reappearances continue in The Sparrow, and look for The Returned from Harlequin MIRA, a moving tale of a family given a second chance at life and a world where nothing - not even death - is certain.

Members Reviews:

Melodramtic

Melodramatic, swarmy, silly, not well written. Half way decent concept, just needs a good writer to do justice to it.

Under the Spell

Whatever sort of magic Jason Mott weaves, he has completely captivated me in the 34 short minutes of this prequel. As one who is easily disappointed by this genre, I am actually looking forward to August 27 and the release of The Returned.

The prequel promises much while not giving away anything - a difficult trick to pull off! During this brief introduction to Edmund and his "situation," which is apparently not limited just to him, the narrator immediately brings to life the author's portrayal of the characters' personalities.

Both writer and performer have left me spellbound and anxious for the story to continue. Well done

Free Book - Short Story - Great Concept!!

STORY - This is the first of three prequels to a book called "The Returned," which just came out last month. Each prequel is apparently the story of a different person's unexpected return from the dead, a phenomenon which is starting to occur all over the world (but this book is the first occurrence). What a great marketing concept -- release a few prequels of different occurrences to get people salivating, then hit the market with the story that ties them all together and explains everything. Brilliant!

I don't know if I'm going to buy "The Returned," as the reviews are not too great, but this prequel was very enjoyable. I actually got chills...a young woman finds that her dead fiance is alive again. OMG!

PERFORMANCE - Good enough, nothing special.

OVERALL - It's free, it's short, it's good. What are you waiting for? (It makes a nice little break when you're listening to a long book).

The jury is still out

This short story preview shows that there is an interesting premise and potentially good book coming in The Returned. But I detected some weaknesses in the writing and narrating of The First that has me hesitating to order the next installment, and both have to do with Emily's mother. The bad southern accent in near-falsetto is distracting to listen to, and her POV telling her distraught daughter not to be so excited about about her beloved Edmund returning to life (don't worry, he'll call you when he can) is joltingly out of sync with the fear and awe the should accompany the cosmically mysterious event.

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Title: Mystery Girl

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: David Gordon

Narrator: Luke Daniels

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-16-13

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 18 votes

Genres: Fiction, Literary

Publisher's Summary:

When Sam Kornbergs wife, Lala, walks out on him, hes an unemployed used-book store clerk and failed experimental novelist with a broken heart. Desperate to win her back, he takes a job as assistant detective to the enigmatic Solar Lonsky, a private eye who might be an eccentric and morbid genius or just a morbidly obese madman.

Its a simple tail job, following a beautiful and mysterious lady around L.A., but Sam soon finds himself helplessly falling for his quarry and hopelessly entangled in a murder case involving Satanists, succubi, underground filmmakers, Hollywood bigshots, Mexican shootouts, video-store geekery, and sexy doppelgangers from beyond the grave. A case that highlights the risks of hardcore reading and mourns the death of the novel - or perhaps just the decline of Western civilization.

Mystery Girl is a thriller about the dangers of marriage and a detective story about the unsolvable mysteries of love, art, and other people.

Members Reviews:

An entertaining ride with long side trips

What did you love best about Mystery Girl?

Mystery Girl is almost stereotypical in its plot. But that's ok because the outlandish characters carry the plot forward. There are a few too many "clever" twists (that the reader sees coming long before the pay happen). But again this isn't a negative because seeing this ensemble of dysfunction deal with new situations is what compels the listener.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Like all convoluted mysteries the ending is a little too clean and tidy. But the narrator even jokes about that so its like the reader is in on the joke.

Which character as performed by Luke Daniels was your favorite?

Luke Daniels does an amazing job capturing these characters and giving them depth and making them come alive in my imagination. But if I had to choose, agoraphobic detective Solar Lanski is a delight. Every time Daniels beings with the rolling deep Central European accent, I could help but smile.

Any additional comments?

This book has a postmodern turn where the characters talk a lot of cinema, novels, art. It really brings a new aspect to the mystery. We are participating in a well worn genre going through familiar troupes while wondering if art has been exhausted. That was just clever.

Different!

There are so many twists and turns in this story it leaves you dizzy! It's hard to pigeonhole, a murder (several) mystery with some very witty laugh out loud moments, interesting plot line and one off larger than life characters, gritty and sad, somewhat dark and quite gruesome in parts. The protagonist's adventures throughout are extraordinary and quite convoluted. This is by no means a run of the mill, easy read so if you like something completely different and off the wall this is for you!

An amazing narration by Luke Daniels brings the whole thing to life.