Simply The Best Audiobooks in Fiction, Contemporary to Listen Online

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Say Her Name

Author: Francisco Goldman

Narrator: Robert Fass

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 15 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-04-11

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 17 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Celebrated novelist Francisco Goldman married a beautiful young writer named Aura Estrada in a romantic Mexican hacienda in the summer of 2005. The month before their second anniversary, during a long-awaited holiday, Aura broke her neck while body-surfing. Francisco, blamed for Auras death by her family and blaming himself, wanted to die, too. But instead he wrote Say Her Name, a novel chronicling his great love and unspeakable loss, tracking the stages of grief when pure love gives way to bottomless pain. Suddenly a widower, Goldman collects everything he can about his wife, hungry to keep Aura alive with every memory. From her childhood and university days in Mexico City with her fiercely devoted mother to her studies at Columbia University, through their newlywed years in New York City and travels to Mexico and Europe---and always through the prism of her gifted writings---Goldman seeks her essence and grieves her loss. Humor leavens the pain as he lives through the madness of utter grief and creates a living portrait of a love as joyous and playful as it is deep and profound. Say Her Name is a love story, a bold inquiry into destiny and accountability, and a tribute to Aura, who she was and who she would have been.

Critic Reviews:

Quietly devastating . . . Powerful . . . As the story buildsinevitably, unbearablytoward Auras last day, Goldman has so convincingly brought her to life that her death still somehow comes as a shock. . . . Goldmans beautifully written, deeply felt ode to his wife . . . lets you meet this unusual woman through Goldmans lovestruck gaze, and you cant help falling for her a little too. Even after the book ends, the sting of Auras absence lingers. (Entertainment Weekly)

"Goldman's searing novel Say Her Name is for me the book of the year. . . . A soaring paean to a brilliant young woman and to the infinite invincible power of love." (Junot Diaz, New York (Favorite Books of the Year)

Passionate and moving . . . Beautifully written the truth that emerges in this book has less to do with the mystery of [Auras] death . . . than with the miracle of the astonishing, spirited, deeply original young woman Goldman so adored.So remarkable is this resurrection that at times I felt the book itself had a pulse. (The New York Times Book Review)

Members Reviews:

Should have stayed a magazine article

What disappointed you about Say Her Name?

The personal failed to transcend and become universal.

What could Francisco Goldman have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Goldman could have been a little less obsessed with diarising the relationship, and put more effort into a philosophical approach to the tragedy, thereby placing it in the broader scheme of his life.

Any additional comments?

Goldman's untrammeled adoration for his young wife prevented us from seeing what there actually was to adore. A little less telling, and a lot more showing could have made it more believable.

Narrator sounds like he's selling breakfast cereal

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would read it, not listen to it.

What didnt you like about Robert Fasss performance?

He had a brittle, perfectionist way of speaking that did not capture the character -like an English teacher or speech therapist instead of an actor.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Murder in the Air

Subtitle: A Dan Rhodes Mystery

Author: Bill Crider

Narrator: George Guidall

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 15 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-08-11

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 36 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Publishers Weekly calls Murder in the Air a winning 17th entry in Bill Criders popular Dan Rhodes mysteries. Sheriff Rhodes has his hands full over complaints about Lester Hamiltons foul-smelling chicken farm. So when Hamilton is found dead, Rhodes suspect list includes nearly the entire county.

Critic Reviews:

Few will be able to resist Criders brand of broad humor, eccentric characters, and murder. (

Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Bockingly Good Read

In this 17th book of the series, Crider once again portrays Sheriff Dan Rhodes as the practical, no-nonsense central Texas lawman who gets to the bottom of horrific crimes, lolling criminals into a false sense of security in the process. His characters are simultaneously sophisticated, down home, and always believably real.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Foreign Bodies

Author: Cynthia Ozick

Narrator: Tandy Cronyn

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 45 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-08-11

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 22 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Longlisted for the 2012 Orange Prize for Fiction

Pulitzer Prize finalist Cynthia Ozicks fiction has been awarded multiple O. Henry Prizes. In Foreign Bodies, Ozick crafts a remarkable retelling of Henry James The Ambassadorsdeftly using its plot, yet boldly infusing the novel with an all new place, time, and meaning. Its 1952, and middle-aged Bea Nightingale reluctantly agrees to fly to Paris to help convince her estranged runaway nephew to return to his family. But Beas experiences abroad will change her forever.

Members Reviews:

Decidedly Literary and Very Enjoyable

I decided to read Foreign Bodies because of the superb review it received in the NYT from Thomas Mallon, an author Ive read and respect. Since Foreign Bodies is based on Henry James The Ambassadors, I decided to read The Ambassadors before tackling Cynthia Ozicks book. I loved The Ambassadors and liked Foreign Bodies. Not surprisingly, if one has to choose between the two, James wins, but reading both is a pleasure as well.

Foreign Bodies is a decidedly literary work, yet it propels forward with a drive and speed that James lacks. Furthermore, in her modern retelling of The Ambassadors, Ozick makes explicit, plot details that James either obscures or ignores. I liked this definiteness. Foreign Bodies stands on its own, and can be read without relating it to the James prequel. Simply put, it is a very good book, which is enjoyable for both its story and its artful writing.

Final Comment: If I had to do it over again, I'd read this book rather than listen to it. Although the narration was good, I think that the literary qualities of this book are better appreciated if one has the written page in front of him or her.

Entrancing

Many critics slaved over the comparison of Foreign Bodies to Henry James The Ambassadors. It's been so long since I've read Ambassadors that it did not affect my experience with this novel. Instead all my attention focused on the ordinary yet intriguing characters of Bea, Lilly and Iris (not Julian or Marvin, as much). I marvel at the imagination, insight and skill of a writer who can spin together just the right threads to create the whole cloth character that seems a living, breathing human. One whose external life seems commonplace (like a 40 yr old high school teacher) but whose INTERNAL life grabs and holds my interest and concern. Yet, I could still see the individual's flaws and mistakes and shake my head over the poor decisions each one made. I didn't have to identify with the character in order to be deeply involved for the whole novel.

Through most of the book, I found myself focusing on the fleshing out of the two words in the title, foreign and bodies.

How were the characters foreign - to themselves, to others, to a fully experienced life? There are so many ways that the three women, especially, show that they haven't figured out much about themselves, though they are self-involved, like most of us. They are also unable to figure out the people they claim to love. Foreigners in many ways.

What was the scope of the word bodies? There is much description and reflection on the physical bodies - attractive, scarred, ghost-like -

and reflection on what it meant to be touching or never touched. I'm still thinking about them.

Finally, the best part for me is Ozick's carefully chosen language. I experienced the writer's words with my brain AND my ears. It was wonderful.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Her Two Dads

Author: Ariel Tachna

Narrator: Jenny Urban

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 18 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-14-10

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 89 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Srikkanth Bhattacharya is a quintessential gay bachelor and perfectly happy about ituntil he gets a call from the local hospital telling him his best friend died in childbirth. Sri had agreed to provide the sperm to make Jill's dream of motherhood come true, but he'd never expected to have to make decisions for a baby girl. He intends to place her with an adoptive family, but once he sees her, Sri cant bring himself to do it. So now hes struggling to learn how to deal with a newborn. His housemate and friend, Jaime Frias, volunteers to help, never guessing hell fall in love with both the baby and Sri.

Everything seems perfect until a visit from Social Services sends Sri into a tailspin, feeling like he has to choose between his daughter and a relationship with the man hes coming to love.

Members Reviews:

Surprisingly realistic

Any additional comments?

I have listened to dozens of gay male themed books on Audible. Many of them are supernatural fantasy or unrealistic romantic tales. This book had been in my Wish List for over a year. I was somewhat skeptical about listening to a book about gay men read by a female narrator. To my surprise, this was a fantastic book that explored so many issues that I could one day face. The narrator was superb and the way she read the story made me regret that I even considered her gender as a factor. This truly is a great story that I can realistically seeing happening to myself or one of my friends. Give it a chance.

Sweet but oh so boring

It is really a shame this books fails on so many levels. The writing is not great, the narrator is wooden and the story is just so contrived to be laughable. I love gay dad stories because I love the "family" aspect of it. The fact the families with same sex couples are no different in every way that counts than any other family. I can't even name all the ways this story went awry, but I will try. First, the story reads like a technical manual for first time parents, complete with the naming of popular name brand of baby supplies and medical advice. Really, medical advice, can you even do that if you are not a doctor? For a while I thought I was listening to a commercial or a message from the CDC. And the narrator reads it like it is a public service announcement very wooden and no emotional depth at all. Then the romance btwn friends starts out good, but then the author contrives this completely unrealistic "fear of child protective services" as a plot device. It fails miserably b/c it is just too stupid and the MCs reactions to it are way out of proportion. Then there is some pseudo family drama that turns into nothing. The bottom line is this is a very boring read and the narrator is horrible.

Truly beautiful!

This book was worth every cent. This was such a heart warming book and the narrator's voice was perfect for the characters. I kept forgetting a woman was reading. I have a two year old and still remember all the baby refreshes they mentioned. So sweet. It's sad what a homosexual couple has to go through with all the ignorance in the world and it making their lives harder. I was happy that Ariel balanced out the bigotry with good people too. A total must read!!

Didn't even finish it.

What would have made Her Two Dads better?

I'm not sure. The writing was okay, I guess. Sort of. It just was fairly boring. There was not really any drama and WAY too much time spent of baby shopping.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Stiltsville

Author: Susanna Daniel

Narrator: Suzanne Toren

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 44 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-26-10

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 49 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

One sunny morning in 1969, near the end of her first trip to Miami, 26-year-old Frances Ellerby finds herself in a place called Stiltsville, a community of houses built on pilings in the middle of Biscayne Bay.

It's the first time the Atlanta native has been out on the open water, and she's captivated. On the dock of a stilt house, with the dazzling skyline in the distance and the unknowable ocean beneath her, she meets the house's owner, Dennis DuValand, and a new future reveals itself.

Turning away from her quiet, predictable life back home, Frances moves to Miami to be with Dennis. Over time, she earns the confidence of his wild-at-heart sister and wins the approval of his oldest friend. Frances and Dennis marry and have a child, but rather than growing complacent about their good fortune, they continue to face the challenges of intimacy and the complicated city they call home.

Stiltsville is the family's island oasis - until suddenly it's gone, and Frances is forced to figure out how to make her family work on dry land. Against a backdrop of lush tropical beauty, Frances and Dennis struggle with the mutability of love and Florida's weather, as well as temptation, chaos, and disappointment. But just when Frances thinks she's reached some semblance of higher ground, she must confront an obstacle so great that even the lessons she's learned about navigating the uncharted waters of family life can't keep them afloat.

With Stiltsville, Susanna Daniel weaves the beauty, violence, and humanity of Miami's coming-of-age with an enduring story of a marriage's beginning, maturity, and heartbreaking demise. Suzanne Toren's limpid narration perfectly complements Daniel's incandescent prose.

Editorial Reviews:

What is most satisfying about a novel like Stiltsville is the opportunity to travel and immerse yourself in a region that may not be familiar. If youve never been to Miami, youll relish in the experience of the ocean, the hot weather, and the sultry culture of southern Florida. Suzanne Toren narrates Susanna Daniels debut novel, guiding us through this portrait of a family in progress, growing up together on the sandy shores of Stiltsville, a community of stilt houses in Miami.

When 26-year-old Frances Ellerby ventured down to Miami for a friends wedding, she didnt expect that shed wind up spending the rest of her days in the southern-most state. But after just one weekend, she fell in love with the sun-soaked city and with native Floridian Dennis DuVal. Stiltsville is a portrait of their marriage, from the weekend they fell in love at Dennis stilt house to the birth of their daughter Margo and to an imminent and devastating conclusion. Daniels examines the challenges of Frances and Dennis swiftly developed romance with an inquiring, discerning eye, and the growing city of Miami serves as a striking backdrop peppered with influential historical events.

Torens rendition is warm and inviting, like the community of friends and family Frances stumbles upon and grows old with in Stiltsville. Through her elongated vowels and soothing inflection, Toren brings the experience of the Stiltsville community to the listener, serving up an intuitively regional experience so palpable youll hear the ocean behind the deep drawl of her Floridian accent.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Buster Midnights Cafe

Author: Sandra Dallas

Narrator: Cynthia Darlow

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 24 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-20-10

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 28 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

New York Times best-selling author Sandra Dallas spins a moving, memorable yarn that transports listeners from rural Montana to 1940s Hollywood. Buster Midnights Cafe is a compelling story of longtime friends, a shared past, and an act of violence that shatters innocence forever.

May Anna Kovacks was discovered on the dustry streets of Butte, Montana and went on to become a Hollywood star. War, fame, marriage, love, and heartbreak came and went. What never changed was the bond she shared with her two best friends, Effa Commander and Whippy Bird. When scandal, murder, and betrayal made a legend of May Anna, only Effa and Whippy Bird could set the record straight.

Critic Reviews:

Entertaining memorable characters bring Prohibition-era Montana to life Ms. Dallas has a good feeling for story, character,and dialogue. (

New York Times Book Review)

Members Reviews:

Great listen

Would you consider the audio edition of Buster Midnights Cafe to be better than the print version?

All depends on how you spend your time. I can listen and do other things around the house or yard, kill 2 birds with one stone so to speak.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Effa Commander and Whoopie bird. The era in which the book took place is a favorite of mine. I was born in the wrong era. The 40's and 50's would have been a great time to have raised a family.

Have you listened to any of Cynthia Darlows other performances before? How does this one compare?

No. I will have to give her a try.

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

Laugh, and feel sad, but not cry

Any additional comments?

I have one more book of hers to listen to and then I will have had them all.

The Cafe served tasty food but the assortment was limited.

I am a big fan of Sandra Dallas's books, but this was not one of her best. I did not notice the date, perhaps this was an early book. It is a charming story of life in the 40's in a small Montana (?) town and a group of friends who stayed loyal through life's adventures, both good and bad. Somewhat predictable.

Grab Your Handkerchief

Would you recommend Buster Midnights Cafe to your friends? Why or why not?

I really like Sandra Dallas because she tells her stories through the lives and experiences of women and does so by placing her story settings in the historical context of the United States. The theme throughout her books is about friendship ans bonding together. That said, I felt this was a very sad book in that she really put her characters through so much suffering and loss. This was not one of my favorites, but I still love Sandra Dallas.

What does Cynthia Darlow bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

Cynthia Darlow brought the characters alive in a very believable way.

Great read!!!

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

absolutely, a real "page turner"...darlow is the best narrator, I love all her audios.

What did you like best about this story?

past recollections, memories tells it all. This story was funny, sad and wonderful!!!

Have you listened to any of Cynthia Darlows other performances before? How does this one compare?

I love listening to Cynthia Darlow, she brings the characters to life.

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

yes

Any additional comments?

Great read

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Hello Kitty Must Die

Author: Angela S. Choi

Narrator: Angela Lin

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 59 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-21-10

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 117 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

On the outside, twenty-eight-year-old Fiona Yu appears to be just another Hello Kitty - an educated, well-mannered Asian American woman. Secretly, she feels torn between the traditional Chinese values of her family and the social mores of being an American girl. To escape the burden of carrying her family's honor, Fiona decides to take her own virginity. In the process, she makes a surprising discovery that reunites her with a long-lost friend, Sean Killroy. Sean introduces her to a dark world of excitement, danger, cunning, and cruelty, pushing her to the limits of her own morality. But Fiona's father throws her new life into disarray when he dupes her into an overnight trip that results in a hasty engagement to Don Koo, the spoiled son of a wealthy chef.

Determined to thwart her parents' plans to marry her off into Asian suburbia, Fiona seeks her freedom at any price. How far will she go to bury the Hello Kitty stereotype forever? Fiona's journey of self-discovery is biting and clever as she embraces her true nature and creates her own version of the American Dream, eliminating - without fear or remorse - anyone who stands in her way.

Editorial Reviews:

If you count yourself among the denizens of contemporary dark satire who assume that gleeful nihilism is the purview of only middle-aged white men like Chuck Palahniuk and Bret Easton Ellis, prepare to broaden your horizons and meet Angela Choi. This is Choi's first book, and Angela Lin, noted for her voice work on the novel Lost in Translation, narrates it with triumphant cheekiness.

This is the story of Fiona Yu, a jaded Bay Area lawyer approaching 30 while saddled with all the stereotypical baggage of living with her traditional Chinese parents. Choi herself lives in San Francisco, turned 30 not long ago, and quit her law firm to write this book. As this book contains about 20 murders, hopefully Choi's art does not mirror her life too completely. Fiona is a badass, not a Hello Kitty. A Hello Kitty is the kind of Asian woman who loses her virginity to an arranged marriage then spends the rest of her life quietly cooking and doing laundry.

Lin hilariously puts on her most cartoony Chinese and vacant Californian accents as Fiona bitterly mocks both the Asian and the American cultural institutions that keep her from having a good time. With the help of her sidekick, a childhood friend turned hymen reconstructive surgeon by day and lady-killer by night, Fiona plots to escape her arrogant boss, her boring fiancé, and her sheltered existence under the thumb of an exasperating father who is constantly reminding her to wear lipstick. Their tools for accomplishing these remarkable feats of social dexterity include a half dozen Snickers bars, a boat called The Countess with the o scratched out, a pretty sexy collection of stiletto heels, a love of Kurt Cobain, and the will to do very bad things to people who sort of deserve it.

A refreshing change of pace from the usual black comedy, this tasty little tale of vengeance served hot over ramen noodles is equal parts charming and obnoxious. Angela Lin's salty sweet rendering of a unique new character aberration that possesses some wickedly familiar sentiments is cause for optimism on the satirical battlefield of inhumane thoughts and criminal deeds that has too long been dominated by white guys. Prepare to be shamefully delighted.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Gideon's Week

Subtitle: Gideon of Scotland Yard

Author: John Creasey (JJ Marric)

Narrator: Christopher Scott

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 33 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-11-10

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 22 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Available to download for the first time, The Gideon of Scotland Yard Series by JJ Marric (pseudonym of Grand Master John Creasey).

No week in the life of Commander Gideon of Scotland Yard could be entirely uneventful. However, a mass escape from Millways Gaol made this a particularly harassing week. Ruby Benson set up her killer husband and it's up to Gideon to protect the woman from her bloodthirsty spouse's vendetta--or die trying.

John Creasey (1908-1973) published over 600 books under 20+ different pseudonyms. In 1969 he was given the the Mystery Writers of Americas highest Honour, the Grand Master award.

Members Reviews:

excellent

Once I figured out that the story started with all of the characters that might kill the protagonist I really enjoyed the story.

Loved this one, too.

Any additional comments?

Another fast-moving story I enjoyed very much. Not exactly a whodunit, because we know who done it, but a suspense about whether Commander Gideon and his band of constables, inspectors and detectives can catch the bad guy who breaks out of prison before he can kill the wife who helped Gideon put him in prison. Didn't like the narrator of this one quite as much as the narrator of the first book in the series, but he was still very good. I will skip the third book because I could tell from the sample that I would not like the narrator. But the narrator of Book 4 sounds good so I'm moving on to that one. I'm late to this author, better late than never. The Gideon series is great.

John Creasy's story still enjoyable.

Old fashioned, nice to listen to how things used to be. It is good to have no swearing for a change.

GG Week well written

Another excellent book, audio production of an excellent standard, keeps the reader hooked and wanting to continue. Sign of an well produced and read audio book is the need to purchase the next in the series. A list of the books in order for each of the series would be helpful

Gideons Week

A strong story well read by Christopher Scott, giving the reader a glimpse of Great Britain in the 60's. Commander Gideon is a strong back to basics, no nonsense policeman with a large family at home. Gideon while tough with criminal has compassion with the victims of crime.

The story has been adapted in part for the TV in Gideons Way, Gideon played by John Gregson and the episode titled Tin God. Both the TV and the book have a strong violent villain Benson played by Derren Nesbit TV's Hardman and his partner played by a youthful John Hurt of Harry Potter fame.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Broken

Author: Karin Slaughter

Narrator: Natalie Ross

Format: Abridged

Length: 5 hrs and 41 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-08-10

Publisher: Random House AudioBooks

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

When the body of a young woman is discovered deep beneath the icy waters of Lake Grant, a note left under a rock by the shore points to suicide. But within minutes, it becomes clear that this is no suicide. Its a brutal, cold-blooded murder.

All too soon former Grant County medical examiner Sara Linton home for Thanksgiving after a long absence finds herself unwittingly drawn into the case. The chief suspect is desperate to see her but when she arrives at the local police station she is met with a horrifying sight he lies dead in his cell, the words Not me scrawled across the walls.

Something about his confession doesnt add up and deeply suspicious of the detective in charge, Lena Adams, Sara immediately calls the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Shortly afterwards, Special Agent Will Trent is brought in from his vacation to investigate. But he is immediately confronted with a wall of silence. Grant County is a close-knit community with loyalties and ties that run deep. And the only person who can tell the truth about what really happened is dead

Members Reviews:

Another good K. Slaughter thriller!

I suppose every successful author keeps readers interested not only with plot, but with their characters. Slaughter has given us recurring characters Will, Faith, Amanda and Sara that give her mysteries depth and a heart. Because Ms. Slaughter's thrillers are often character driven, her novels delve into their backgrounds, history and emotions. They are why Slaughter fans seek out her books. The danger is that sometimes--not often, but SOMETIMES--Ms. Slaughter gets a little too.... well.. "chick-lit" in her novels. Which is fine, just not my favorite way to take on a murder mystery.

Slaughter writes some seriously good thrillers and, frankly, some pretty gruesome stuff. It must be tough to keep the "edge" while writing characters that aren't one dimensional or stereotypical.

"Broken" makes me proud to be a Karin Slaughter fan. Yes, the characters have emotions(I was especially impressed with Will Trent in this outing, he WAS playing chess while the characters around him were trying to figure out checkers!)...but it is their makeup as a WHOLE that drives this excellent thriller. No sudsy stuff, just a mystery that kept me going chapter after chapter.

If you've never read a Karin Slaughter book, this would be a fine place to start. The novel can easily stand alone is this series. If you've read others from Ms. Slaughter, I think you'll find "Broken" to be among her best.

*personal note: I really don't mean to sound sexist, but I'm a GUY...I want thrillers w/o soap opera. Generally I enjoy Karin Slaughter, there's just an occasional novel from her that goes a little TOO.. 'emotional' for me. BROKEN is not one of them. I loved every page.

And yes, the "chess vs checkers" phrase is right out of the book.

Will was brought up in an orphanage.

My other fav authors gotta be hating on K. Slaughter. I swore I would never get into a series and low and behold here I am. I love the descriptive way she goes into the forensics of the crimes/murders. Just as I love the TV show Dr. G, Medical Examiner. It intrigues me how they can take an insect larvae and figure out clues. Ms. Slaughter must have an awesome team as her advisors. The main character, Will, has evolved with each book. The other main characters, Angie/Sara/Amanda/Faith and Evelyn have continued to grow also.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Chalcot Crescent

Author: Fay Weldon

Narrator: Carole Boyd

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 3 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-01-10

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

This is the story of Fays might-have-been younger sister, Frances.

Its 2013, and 80-year-old Frances (has-been writer) is sitting on the stairs of No.3 Chalcot Crescent, Primrose Hill, listening to the debt collectors pounding on her front door. From this house shes witnessed five decades of world history.

While she waits for the bailiffs to give up and leave, Frances writes. She writes about the boyfriends she borrowed and the husband she stole from Fay, about her daughters and their children. The problem is that fact and fiction are blurring in Francess mind.

Members Reviews:

enjoyable

this was an enjoyable book, but i found it reasonably hard to concentrate on it at times. i suspect that the waspish style of narration was precisely right as the voice of the author, but it did get on my nerves sometimes.