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Título: Libélula [Dragonfly]

Autor: Enric Balasch

Narrador: José Carlos Domínguez

Formato: Unabridged

Duración: 7 hrs and 44 mins

Idioma: Español

Fecha de publicación: 06-19-14

Editor: Audiomol

Calificaciones: 4 de 5 de 1 votos

Categorías: Mysteries & Thrillers, Noir

Resumen del editor:

En un pequeño pueblo de la sierra de Gredos, se reúnen en plena noche el alcalde, el cura, el sargento de la Guardia Civil y el influyente representante de la cofradía en honor al Santo Prepucio. De la iglesia ha desaparecido esta reliquia..., que es también importante motor de la economía local. La única pista con la que cuentan conduce a Madrid. Sin embargo, no tardarán en aparecer las dificultades. Entre ellas, el misterioso asesino sin escrúpulos que firma sus crímenes con un dibujo: una libélula. Una actual novela policiaca que parodia con humor un mundo en decadencia. Sus páginas recorren a un ritmo trepidante las calles de Madrid, sin olvidar sus rincones más sórdidos. Un thriller negro excelentemente documentado.

Please note: This audiobook is in Spanish.

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Title: You Play the Black and the Red Comes Up

Author: Richard Hallas

Narrator: Brian Troxell

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 30 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-05-14

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Noir

Publisher's Summary:

Dick is a Depression-era drifter bums who lands in Los Angeles in search of his son and runaway wife. When Dick commits one crime and plans another, the police arrest him for a crime he actually did not commit. Dick attempts to reconcile with his family and find his way out of LAs seedy underworld. You Play the Black and the Red Comes Up was a bestseller when originally published in 1938 and is a noir classic.

Members Reviews:

A noir gem that got lost in time, and ...

A noir gem that got lost in time, and it holds its own against classics of the time. Gambling, sex, death, and booze

Neglected classic

I heard of this work through Edmund Wilson's classic essay, The Boys in the Back Room, in which he treated a number of "California" writers in general and the "noir" genre in particular. Wilson, who was brilliant and a delight to read on almost anything, wasn't a big fan of the California writers, and more particularly didn't especially like hardboiled crime fiction. Still, it was interesting that he mentioned this relatively obscure novel a number of times, especially as it was the only crime novel by "Richard Hallas," real name Eric Knight, and yes, the man who wrote Lassie Come Home, but who died at a relatively young age in an airplane crash in WWII.

The novel is not especially easy to find. I was never able to find it in a store, even my favorite used book store, but did manage to order it on-line. It is interesting, to say the least, and worth the effort if you are a fan of the genre.

The novel has many of the attributes you would expect: a none-too-bright hero lights out to California in search of the wife and child who have abandoned him. He finds them, but to little effect, and seems almost powerlessly drawn into (i) a robbery that goes awry and ends in murder, (ii) a relationship with a controlling woman who clings to him and ultimately threatens to expose his crime if he leaves her, (iii) a relationship with another woman that ends badly, in one of the larger ironic twists of the story, and (iv) a murder trial that only extends the irony and seems to fulfill his mantra that in Hollywood the truth gets all mixed up. Along the way, there is substantially more social commentary than you might expect--some fairly effective scenes about the trek of the homeless and hopeless to the west, and an economic/religious movement reminiscent of Aimee Semple McPherson with a penchant for drama and a fairly incomprehensible economic program. The book also includes a take on California, or Hollywood, where, in the words of the movie producer who "befriends" our hero, people go crazy--they don't know they're crazy, but they are, and life turns into something like a big movie that people don't really live or feel the way they should.

All in all, the plot won't disappoint, and the writing is better than much of the genre. It is neither as simple nor as hard-boiled nor as limited in subject as many less interesting books of the kind.

The oddity of the book, as the introduction to the edition I read points out, is that this book feels like a pastiche, meaning it seems comprised of a lot of bits and set pieces that the author assembled because that's how you write one of these things, and, at times, the job feels more like a satire or send up of the genre rather than a full-fledged participant.

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Title: The Barcelona Brothers

Author: Carlos Zanon, John Cullen (translator)

Narrator: Gregory Linington

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 43 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-28-14

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Noir

Publisher's Summary:

A gritty noir set in Barcelona's savage underbelly

Epi Dalmau is a desperate man. Early one morning, he carries a duffle bag into a dingy bar in a rough neighborhood of Barcelona. Four other people are in the bar: his brother Alex, his good friend Tanveer, the bartender, and a Pakistani man who wandered in to use the restroom. Epi grabs a hammer out of his duffle bag and attacks Tanveer. After a brief struggle and a couple of blows, Tanveer lies dead on the floor and Epi flees the bar.

Alex and the bartender plan to find and protect Epi, while blaming the murder on the unfortunate Pakistani man, who was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Meanwhile, Epi is hunting for Tiffany, the woman of his dreams and the reason behind the murder. What he'll do when he finds her, and what drove him to brutal violence are the subjects of Carlos Zann's gritty, unflinching novel, set in a city tourists never see.

The Barcelona Brothers is a hard look at what people are capable of when they have no other options, and a portrait of a modern, multicultural Barcelona.

Members Reviews:

This was not even a good crime novel and certainly more than that

This was not even a good crime novel and certainly more than that, which is what I was expecting. There's no story, no characterization (the bitch is just a bitch, no reason, no complexity). What's most disappointing is there is no barrio, no sense of the place, the street culture. Even bad action novels shouldn't be boring, but this one is. It's an easy read and I skimmed much of it, but I got to the end (I didn't have another light read on hand), so it gets two stars instead of one.

"A strange and engrossing visit with life on the dark side"

"The Barcelona Brothers" was written by Carlos Zanon an accomplished Spanish literary critic and screenwriter and was translated from the Spanish to English by John Cullen.

The writing style is uncomplicated, and produces an even cadence artfully filled with description and feeling. The story is told by an anonymous narrator about the characters and circumstances that form the novels essence.

It is a story about two brothers, Epi and Alex Dalmau each with emotional and psychological problems. Alex suffers outwardly from paranoid schizophrenia and Epi from subdued psychotic perceptions of self worth. What happens to Epi and Alex is born of a perverted love triangle formed by one Tiffany Brisette, a prostitute, and Epi and Epi's friend Tanveer Hussein, a highly disturbed and dangerous man. The setting is the barrio of the city, a place of seamy characters, places and dealings where drugs are a persistent prelude to violence and prostitutes are often the victims. The unraveling of things for Epi begins with the realization that he is in love with Tiffany but Tiffany does not return his love and in fact prefers a relationship with Tanveer; a situation that clearly threatens Epi's illusions of life with Tiffany and a situation that Epi is driven to rectify.

There are no particular surprises in the development of the tale but it is a captivating look at the character of Epi and his psychosis along with a glimpse at the gritty life in the barrio.

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Title: Jack Armstrong and the Secret of U-77

Author: Tom Brown

Narrator: Nick Santa Maria

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 49 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-20-14

Publisher: RadioArchives.com

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Noir

Publisher's Summary:

Jack Armstrong and the Secret of U-77 Audiobook

Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy was one of the first and most memorable of the adventure radio serials. Running from 1933 to 1951, it featured the resourceful high school student on a dizzying collection of adventures that spanned the globe. He often accompanied Colonel Jim Fairfield, an aviation industrialist, and Fairfield's brave niece and nephew Betty and Billy on their travels. Backing them up was two-fisted Vic Hardy, a brilliant scientist and sleuth.

Now, for the first time, one of the Jack Armstrong serials has been novelized and is now available from Radio Archives as a 12-hour audiobook. Noted author Jeff Deischer adapts Jack Armstrong and the Secret of U-77 from the 1946 James Jewell production - a serial for which none of the original recordings exist. Jeff is known for his strong narrative, which gives this story an authentic flavor.

In the post-war world, danger is not always so easy to see. But Jack Armstrong identifies it in the form of Dr. Romago, a unscrupulous scientist who abandoned his native United States before the war. After being mysteriously missing for several years, Romago has returned - and he is after the secret of U-77.

What is U-77, and why does Dr. Romago seek it? Jack can only guess. But he does know that if Romago wants it, he can't be permitted to have it. Accompanied by his loyal friends, Uncle Jim, Betty and Billy Fairfield, Jack and Vic Hardy head down to the Sea Islands off the Southern Atlantic coast, where Romago has been driving away the local fishermen through his underling, Pachino the Eel, a gangster who has crossed paths with scientist Vic Hardy before.

Aboard his schooner, The Gray Ghost, Romago squats, a fat spider pulling on the strands of his web like the strings of a puppet, manipulating the fishermen of Thunderbolt, Georgia, his own henchmen - and even Jack Armstrong!

Jack Armstrong and the Secret of U-77 takes Jack and his friends from New York City to the coast of Georgia down to the bottom of the ocean in this exciting 12 hour long saga.

Douglas Klauba has painted a gorgeous wraparound cover for this special audiobook. Nick Santa Maria took a break from being the Spider to do the voice acting for Jack Armstrong and the Secret of U-77.

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Title: G-8 and His Battle Aces #33, June 1936

Author: Robert J. Hogan, RadioArchives.com

Narrator: Nick Santa Maria

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 42 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-14-14

Publisher: RadioArchives.com

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Noir

Publisher's Summary:

G-8 and his Battle Aces rode the nostalgia boom ten years after World War I ended. These high-flying exploits were tall tales of a World War that might have been, featuring monster bats, German zombies, wolf-men, harpies, Martians, and even tentacled floating monsters. Most of these monstrosities were the work of Germanys seemingly endless supply of mad scientists, chief of whom was G-8s recurring Nemesis, Herr Doktor Krueger. G-8 battled Germanys Halloween shock troops for over a decade, not ceasing until the magazine folded in the middle of World War II. G-8 and his Battle Aces return in vintage pulp tales, reissued for todays readers in electronic format.

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Title: Captain Zero #2, January 1950

Author: G.T. Fleming-Roberts, RadioArchives.com

Narrator: Michael C. Gwynne

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 54 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-14-14

Publisher: RadioArchives.com

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Noir

Publisher's Summary:

Most pulp heroes were born in editorial conferences, with or without the input of the assigned author. This is how great characters like Doc Savage and The Avenger were created.

Not so the Master of Midnight, Captain Zero. He was solely the brainchild of pulp veteran G. T. Fleming-Roberts, who had previously worked on Secret Agent X, the Black Hood and the Green Ghost, the latter two under his own name.

In 1948, Fleming-Roberts decided to turn the stalwart pulp superhero on its head and came up with mild-mannered newspaperman, Lee Allyn, who stripped down to his skivvies every midnight and sallied forth as the invisible but nervous Captain Zero. Thinking he had a winner, Fleming-Roberts left his Indianapolis home and went knocking on the doors of the major Manhattan pulp houses.

Street & Smith's Daisy Bacon turned him down. They already had the original unseen avenger, The Shadow. Who needed another? But when the writer paid a call on Popular Publications, the former issuers of The Spider and Secret 6 decided to get back into the hero business. They announced the first issue for early 1949, but the pulp industry remained stuck in the post-war doldrums, so Popular held back Captain Zero #1 for a September release. The first issue of the new bi-monthly was cover-dated November.

Captain Zero was a breath of fresh air in a field dominated by grim crimebusters. Lee Allyn didn't really want to fight crime, but what are you going to do with your time after an accident turns you invisible (except for your eyeballs, that is) every midnight? Underfunded, unappreciated, at risk of being overwhelmed by the furious guns of the Underworld, Captain Zero battles small-town crime far from the big cities braver superheroes guarded.

For his second caper, Captain Zero challenges a mysterious mastermind who commands his murderous minions via radio, and is known only as the Man in the Black Hat. It appears as if G. T. Fleming-Roberts was having a bit of fun - for the Man in the Black Hat sounds a lot like The Shadow! If that's not enough, he manages to run afoul of the local law, and becomes a wanted fugitive.

The Mark of Zero! is the name of this thrilling tale. It's narrated with just the right leavening of wry wit by Michael C. Gwynne. Also included in this exciting audiobook are two short stories torn from the pages of the January, 1950 issue of Captain Zero, Pinned Down! and Double-Take on Death, penned by Alan Ritner Anderson and Walt Sheldon respectively.

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Title: Spider #70 July 1939

Subtitle: The Spider

Author: Grant Stockbridge, RadioArchives.com

Narrator: Nick Santa Maria

Format: Abridged

Length: 5 hrs and 20 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-14-14

Publisher: RadioArchives.com

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Noir

Publisher's Summary:

Will Murray's Pulp Classics #45

Total Pulp Experience. These exciting pulp adventures have been beautifully reformatted for easy listening. As a special bonus, Will Murray has written an introduction especially for this series of audiobooks.

Another epic exploit of Americas best-loved pulp-fiction character of the 1930s and 1940s: The Spider - Master of Men! Richard Wentworth - the dread Spider, nemesis of the Underworld, lone wolf anti-crime crusader who always fights in that grim no-mans land between Law and lawless - returns in vintage pulp tales of the Spider, reissued for todays readers in electronic format.

Members Reviews:

Hysterical pulp-pacing at its finest.

Incredible. Over the top. Could not put it down. Hysterical pulp-pacing at its finest.

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Title: Safely Buried

Author: John Pesta

Narrator: Scott Strosahl

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 38 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-27-14

Publisher: John Pesta

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Noir

Publisher's Summary:

Here's what the judges of the 2012 "Best Books of Indiana" contest had to say about Safely Buried. The contest was sponsored by the Indiana State Library.

Set in the low hills of southern Indiana, Safely Buried is a riveting mystery featuring newspaper reporter Phil Larrison, whose well-intended act of kindness soon lands him in a tangled web of murder and corruption. Author John Pesta gracefully balances strong character and plot development with an action-packed storyline. Though a first-time author, Pesta's background in journalism is readily apparent through his immense storytelling ability that rivals that of seasoned mystery writers.

While we would recommend this book to mystery enthusiasts, it is also a great book for novices due to its well-developed characters and swift, suspenseful pace. It is the ideal choice for the 2012 Best Fiction Book of Indiana award due to the book's entertaining, compelling, and suspenseful storytelling, as well as its setting in southern Indiana.

Members Reviews:

A solid 3 stars---- but read on...

I found this book satisfying enough to wait for Mr. Pesta's next book, if there will be one or more.

I liked it because of how 'sane' most of the characters sounded, even the murderer(s). (grin) Sorta ordinary people, if you can understand that.

I'm glad I stuck with it past the first few chapters. Then it settled down to be readable and entertaining.

Then, the scenes in the caves lost me again. Too long. Too confusing.

The ending seemed a bit rushed but not too bad.

As I said, I'll certainly try Mr. Pesta's next book. I think he has a lot of promise---- and (cringing!!) I hope I didn't sound patronizing since I am not a professional literary critic and appreciate those who can write.

Safely Buried by John Pesta

My Thoughts At 25%:

So far this a great book and has been a nice escape from worrying about my mom as she's having some medical testing done. The first quarter went fast (around 60-90 minutes to read) and I found myself engaged with both the plot and the cast. The writing feels solid, though at times a bit stacatto -- but that might just be a reflection of my preference for more flowing prose. However, I'm caught up in the mystery, wondering what the hell is wrong with Paula, and curious about whether or not this whole thing will end with Phil being caught in some kind of weird phsychotic something. As I read, I'm remembering the psychological feeling of the twists in Gillian Flynn's GONE GIRL, but I suppose I haven't read enough yet to comment on the psycho/suspense aspect of this story. Still, I'm engaged and entertained, and so ...

My Thoughts At 50%:

Well I'll say this, Mr. John Pesta: You've got my attention. I haven't been bored with this book yet, and I've spent a Good deal of my time confused while reading it. Not because the plot is faulty or the characters are unclear, but because all is well and this author has done a great job of weaving everything together in such a way that the reader can't get too far ahead of the game. I find myself engrossed and anxious to find out what happens next, engaged in the story and invested in the characters. So far, this book is a very solid read.

My Thoughts At 75%:

My goodness, the twists and turns in this book.

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Title: Size

Author: A. W. Gray

Narrator: Barry Press

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 19 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-07-14

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Noir

Publisher's Summary:

This hard-boiled tale from A. W. Gray takes its title from its hero, con artist and poker player Sizemore Brandon, a gentle if criminal giant and sidekick to Pecos Jimmy, a Dallas racketeer majoring in gambling. When Size is called to testify against his boss, Jimmy decides the time has come to dispense with his services permanently.

The stakes are high, and Size will have to play his cards right if he is to come out on top in the seamy underbelly of Texas.

Members Reviews:

Good Bad Guy, Fast Read

I purchased this on the strength of the Bino series, in which all four books rated 5 stars. I'm not dissapointed, though I do give it 3 stars because it's not near as good as the Bino series. This was written in 1989, but that takes nothing from the story at all.

Size is a giant of a guy whose run operations for his lifelong friend, now a gangster. He's gone to jail twice for his boss and in the opening scenes he's under indictment again. Each time he's taken the fall for things his boss has actually done. But this time his boss is manipulated into believing Size will snitch, despite all experience and evidence to the contrary. So he puts a hit on Size.

This sets off a chain of events that begins to undermine a solid crime organization as well as a Columbian Cartel they deal with. Suddenly this wakes up Size to the reality he's been blindly true and loyal to everyone but himself. He's been a fool, but now he is forced to use his strength, wit, smarts and savvy to go against them all.

The narrator gets 3 stars for his great voice, but too careful diction. I've a sneaking suspicion he missed some of the humor AW Gray is famous for.

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Title: Pecan Gap

Subtitle: A Jake Somers Novel

Author: Don Castle

Narrator: John Anthony Davis

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 47 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-27-13

Publisher: Don Castle

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Noir

Publisher's Summary:

You really get swept up quickly in this enjoyable novel, as it is written with respect for the reader's intelligence and shows the intrinsic politeness of Don Castle's persona through his character of Jake Somers. Don Castle doesn't resort to foul language, violent scenes or over the top sexual innuendos, making this book ideal for young adult reading as well as the seasoned who-done-it fans. We hope to see more of Jake Somers' down to earth values in future works as he has become a truly memorable character.

Members Reviews:

Interesting story, poorly written

Would you try another book from Don Castle and/or John Anthony Davis?

No

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

This book has a moderately interesting plot, but a complete lack of sophistication in the writing makes me think that it was written by a high school student.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

It is possible that English is the narrator's second language. Alternatively, that the narrator is reading the words exactly as written (see above re lack of sophistication), and is not voice acting as most great narrators do. The dialogue is wooden, uncomfortable to listen to, and doesn't accurately reflect the way people speak. I'm halfway through the book, and haven't yet heard a single contraction!

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Pecan Gap?

As I said, the plot is interesting, if a bit predictable. In the hands of a better writer this story would be fun to read or listen to. It's not the scenes that are wrong, it's the author's lack of language skills that make his book unlikable.

Any additional comments?

Your canned commentary indicates (for reasons that are quite valid) that this would be a good book for teenagers. However, I'd have to disagree when it comes to the quality of writing. This is not something that should be touted as a teenage "must read".

A well balanced investigative novel!

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

I would recommend it to a friend because it is well written and all of the pieces fit in the story. The language is very descriptive without all of the violence and vulgarity that some authors seem to enjoy.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Pecan Gap?

I really enjoyed when Jake returns to his home after doing some investigative work and finds that every room is destroyed except one. Then as he uses deduction he is able to make a discovery that keeps the plot moving. Very exciting!

Have you listened to any of John Anthony Daviss other performances before? How does this one compare?

This was my first experience with a Davis performance so I cannot compare it. It was a very good audible experience.

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

I really did want to continue listening to the book, but I started late at night. It was the kind of story that you want to finish.

Any additional comments?

I really liked how the author tied all of the pieces together in the novel. The use of urban and rural was also an interesting dynamic. I liked that Jake's mother and his past were part of the storyline and that more than one plot is going on in the book. I loved visiting Pecan Gap because the rural town and its characters were very believable. Looking forward to Jake Somers' next adventure!