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Ron

Ron SHERMAN OAKS, CA, United States Member Since 2008
HELPFUL VOTES
22
ratings
REVIEWS
17
4
FOLLOWERS
FOLLOWING
1
0
  • "Thompson at his best."

    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    This is a marvelous twist-a- thon where nobody is even close to the way they appear. The plot is so easy to "spoil", I'll just say you won't be disappointed.
    Barbara Rosenblat is a genius narrator. She does men convincingly, making boy-girl conversations seem like two actors working. But the voices she gives the women, whiskey-soaked and cigarette damaged, recall noir femme-fatales from Lauren Bacall to Kathleen Turner.
    I listened to this book in black and white!

    More

    The Grifters

    • UNABRIDGED (5 hrs and 43 mins)
    • By Jim Thompson
    • Narrated By Barbara Rosenblat
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (13)
    Performance
    (13)
    Story
    (13)

    To his friends, to his coworkers, and even to his mistress Moira, Roy Dillon is an honest hardworking salesman. He lives in a cheap hotel just within his pay bracket. He goes to work every day. He has hundreds of friends and associates who could attest to his good character.

    Ron says: "Thompson at his best."
  • "Much better than those ratings indi..."

    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    This is typical Thompson. That is to say: it's dark, it has tempting babes, it has a straight forward plot that flips every time the listener gets comfortable. There has been discussion of the ending, but remember: this is about a crazy person!
    The narration is suited to the story, his voices are perfect for the characters, and the pace is noir creepy. This is a fun listening experience.

    More

    The Killer Inside Me

    • UNABRIDGED (7 hrs and 16 mins)
    • By Jim Thompson
    • Narrated By Kevin T. Collins
    Overall
    (97)
    Performance
    (81)
    Story
    (79)

    Everyone in the small town of Central City, Texas, loves Lou Ford. But behind the platitudes and glad-handing lurks a monster the likes of which few have ever seen. In The Killer Inside Me, Thompson goes where few novelists have dared to go, giving us a pitch-black glimpse into the mind of the American Serial Killer years before Charles Manson, John Wayne Gacy, and Brett Easton Ellis's American Psycho.

    Ron says: "Much better than those ratings indicate."
  1. The Grifters
  2. The Killer Inside Me
  3. .

A Peek at Stephen's Bookshelf

Helpful
Votes
14
 
United States 26 REVIEWS / 28 ratings Member Since 2012 2 Followers / Following 0
 
Stephen's greatest hits:
  • Nightmare in Pink: A Travis McGee Novel, Book 2

    "Love Overcomes All"

    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    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. Can't wait to see what trouble Travis gets into next.


    Any additional comments?

    If you are looking for a book that is just an enjoyable romp, the Travis MvGee series is that. An excellent way to spend 5-6 hours.Makes you smile, laugh, and just a bit jealous. And the good guy always wins in the end. I like books that way.

  • The Deep Blue Good-By: A Travis McGee Novel, Book 1

    "A MacDonald Masterpiece!"

    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    If you could sum up The Deep Blue Good-By in three words, what would they be?

    Arrogance Breeds Destruction


    Who was your favorite character and why?

    Travis is the best. A broken man who still retains his strength. This first book in the Travis McGee series illustrates Travis in all his complexity. Strong, weak-willed with women, overly-confident in his own abilities. Thinks he sees things in all ways yet is routinely surprised when his plans go awry.


    What does Robert Petkoff bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

    I have read all of the Travis McGee books when i was younger, Robert brings the characters alive especially in the smaller scenes where so much action takes place. His narration helps give each character life and better reveal the role each character brings to the story.

    I very much enjoyed his narration, especially since Robert is a new narrator to me. Robert's narration and the story kept me up waaaay past my bedtime last night. Couldn't put the book down.


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

    Extreme? This book reminded me of my own weaknesses and times of over-confidence. And the price others paid for my mistakes. Brought a rueful smile to my lips. You can't change the past. Just try not to repeat it.


    Any additional comments?

    I waited a long time before getting this book since I had read all the books years ago. I was concerned whether the narration would be good. No waiting anymore. I will get the next book in the series and gladly relive each story again - for the first time - by ear.

Michael

Michael Mesa, AZ, United States 07-02-09
HELPFUL VOTES
350
ratings
REVIEWS
312
89
FOLLOWERS
FOLLOWING
14
0
  • "Esxcellent Historical Fiction; Grip..."

    11 of 11 helpful votes

    I've only done reviews for a handful of the hundreds I've listened to from Audible and other sources. The vast majority of selections one finds are ok, reasonably entertaining, decent narration, ... they pass the time. I tend to review when I find the book either a real turkey or, on the other hand, quite a find. This one is the latter category ... it's a really good piece of historical fiction with outstanding narration. I'm a fan of WW II historical dramas and films and this one kept kept reminding me of the incredible 2001 film "Conspiracy", about the Wannsee Conference where the Final Solution was hammered out, especially in its stark portrayal of Reinhard Heydrich who was also a central figure in "Conspiracy". But "The Pale Criminal" is also an excellent mystery in the noir manner about a serial killer of young girls in 1930s Nazi Germany. And it does an interesting psychological thing with its twists on psychotherapy, Jung, and others. I really, really liked this book, and am going to go looking for more by Phillip Kerr.

    More

    The Pale Criminal: Berlin Noir

    • UNABRIDGED (9 hrs and 20 mins)
    • By Philip Kerr
    • Narrated By John Lee
    Overall
    (204)
    Performance
    (84)
    Story
    (85)

    The Pale Criminal brings back Bernie Gunther, an ex-policeman who thought he'd seen everything on the streets of 1930s Berlin - until he turned freelance, and each case he tackled sucked him further into the grisly excesses of Nazi subculture. Hard-hitting, fast-paced, and richly detailed, The Pale Criminal is noir writing at its blackest and best.

    Michael says: "Esxcellent Historical Fiction; Gripping ..."

What's Trending in Noir:

  • 4.4 (462 ratings)
    Kill the Dead: Sandman Slim, Book 2
    Play Kill the Dead: Sandman Slim, Book 2

    Kill the Dead: Sandman Slim, Book 2

    • UNABRIDGED (13 hrs and 25 mins)
    • By Richard Kadrey
    • Narrated By MacLeod Andrews
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (462)
    Performance
    (337)
    Story
    (344)

    James Stark, a.k.a. Sandman Slim, crawled out of Hell, took bloody revenge for his girlfriend’s murder, and saved the world along the way. After that, what do you do for an encore? You take a lousy job tracking down monsters for money. It’s a depressing gig, but it pays for your beer and cigarettes. But in L.A., things can always get worse. Like when Lucifer comes to town to supervise his movie biography and drafts Stark as his bodyguard.

    Timmie says: "Wow"
  • 4.4 (310 ratings)
    Dead Men's Boots: Felix Castor Series, Book 3
    Play Dead Men's Boots: Felix Castor Series, Book 3

    Dead Men's Boots: Felix Castor Series, Book 3

    • UNABRIDGED (15 hrs and 59 mins)
    • By Mike Carey
    • Narrated By Michael Kramer
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (310)
    Performance
    (145)
    Story
    (146)

    Before he died, Felix Castor's fellow exorcist John Gittings made several calls asking for help, and if Castor had answered them, John might still be alive. So when a smooth-talking lawyer comes out of nowhere to claim the remains, Castor owes it to John's unhappy ghost and even more unhappy widow to help out.

    Lórien says: "Mike Carey does it again!"
  • 4.3 (204 ratings)
    The Pale Criminal: Berlin Noir
    Play The Pale Criminal: Berlin Noir

    The Pale Criminal: Berlin Noir

    • UNABRIDGED (9 hrs and 20 mins)
    • By Philip Kerr
    • Narrated By John Lee
    Overall
    (204)
    Performance
    (84)
    Story
    (85)

    The Pale Criminal brings back Bernie Gunther, an ex-policeman who thought he'd seen everything on the streets of 1930s Berlin - until he turned freelance, and each case he tackled sucked him further into the grisly excesses of Nazi subculture. Hard-hitting, fast-paced, and richly detailed, The Pale Criminal is noir writing at its blackest and best.

    Michael says: "Esxcellent Historical Fiction; Gripping ..."
  • 4.3 (115 ratings)
    A Deadly Shade of Gold: A Travis McGee Novel, Book 5
    Play A Deadly Shade of Gold: A Travis McGee Novel, Book 5

    A Deadly Shade of Gold: A Travis McGee Novel, Book 5

    • UNABRIDGED (11 hrs and 46 mins)
    • By John D. MacDonald
    • Narrated By Robert Petkoff
    Overall
    (115)
    Performance
    (94)
    Story
    (92)

    When McGee picks up the phone and hears a voice from the past, he can't help it. He has to meddle. Especially when he has the chance to reunite Sam Taggart, a reckless, restless man like himself, with the woman who's still waiting for him. But what begins as a simple matchmaking scheme soon becomes a bloody chase that takes McGee to Mexico, a beautiful country - and one from which he hopes to return alive.

    Aaron P. Lazar says: "Travis McGee - a hero for all time"
  •  
  • 4.4 (88 ratings)
    Bright Orange for the Shroud: A Travis McGee Novel, Book 6
    Play Bright Orange for the Shroud: A Travis McGee Novel, Book 6

    Bright Orange for the Shroud: A Travis McGee Novel, Book 6

    • UNABRIDGED (8 hrs and 16 mins)
    • By John D. MacDonald
    • Narrated By Robert Petkoff
    Overall
    (88)
    Performance
    (75)
    Story
    (74)

    Travis things he's in for a quiet summer until a walking zombie of a man, Arthur Wilkinson, stumbles aboard The Busted Flush. He's the latest victim of a fragile-looking blond sexpot who uses the blackest arts of love to lure unsuspecting suckers into a web of sordid schemes. Gone, suddenly, are the lazy, hazy days of summer as Travis becomes embroiled in one of the most dangerous, dirtiest cases of his career.

    Marilyn says: "Finally, unabridged!"
  • 4.5 (78 ratings)
    Darker Than Amber: A Travis McGee Novel, Book 7
    Play Darker Than Amber: A Travis McGee Novel, Book 7

    Darker Than Amber: A Travis McGee Novel, Book 7

    • UNABRIDGED (6 hrs and 40 mins)
    • By John D. MacDonald
    • Narrated By Robert Petkoff
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (78)
    Performance
    (65)
    Story
    (65)

    Travis McGee never shies away from damsels in distress. But this Eurasian beauty was different. When Travis and Meyer rescued her from the water, she had a block of cement wired to her feet, and she wasn't so much grateful as ready to snare them in a murder racket to end all murders.

    Anne says: "At last, but hoping for a better Meyer"
  • 4.3 (30 ratings)
    Pale Kings and Princes: A Spenser Novel
    Play Pale Kings and Princes: A Spenser Novel

    Pale Kings and Princes: A Spenser Novel

    • UNABRIDGED (4 hrs and 14 mins)
    • By Robert B. Parker
    • Narrated By Michael Prichard
    Overall
    (30)
    Performance
    (21)
    Story
    (20)

    Caught in a snowstorm of drugs, passion, and hate, Spenser investigates a cocaine-related murder.

    Elizabeth says: "I love Robert Parker's Spencer series."
  • 4.3 (23 ratings)
    Dead Point
    Play Dead Point

    Dead Point

    • UNABRIDGED (7 hrs and 54 mins)
    • By Peter Temple
    • Narrated By Michael Carmen
    Overall
    (23)
    Performance
    (11)
    Story
    (11)

    Jack Irish - lawyer, gambler, and people-finder - is hunting down the villains who hijacked the winnings from his latest betting coup when he is hired by a mystery client to find missing barman Robbie Colbourne. But Robbie turns up dead of a drug overdose.

    Sandy says: "Do yourself a favour"
  •  
  • 4.3 (21 ratings)
    The Jugger
    Play The Jugger

    The Jugger

    • UNABRIDGED (4 hrs and 10 mins)
    • By Richard Stark
    • Narrated By Stephen R. Thorne
    Overall
    (21)
    Performance
    (16)
    Story
    (16)

    Not many men knew what Parker did for a living, because what he did was steal. But Joe Sheer, a retired safecracker knew. He knew Parker's alias, his whereabouts, his plans... and because he knew too much, he knew to keep his mouth shut. Or die. But Joe was more than ready to trade what he knew for what every man needs - his freedom. So Parker had come to Nebraska to find the old jugger... and probably murder him. But what Parker found was trouble: Joe was already six feet under.

    Jane says: "An average story most of the way,"
  • 4.3 (14 ratings)
    The Little Sister
    Play The Little Sister

    The Little Sister

    • ABRIDGED (2 hrs and 44 mins)
    • By Raymond Chandler
    • Narrated By Elliott Gould
    Overall
    (14)
    Performance
    (7)
    Story
    (7)

    The Little Sister, one of noir master Raymond Chandler's later novels, paints his darkest portrait yet of the underside of the City of Angels. Detective Phillip Marlowe is once again on the case, helping a "little sister", a sweet young girl from Kansas, find her missing brother in Tinseltown. A blackmailer and an ambitious starlet play key roles in this bleak tale, Chandler's savage indictment of the Hollywood dream factory.

    Anthony says: "Her lips open as I draw her near..."
  • 4.5 (10 ratings)
    The High Window
    Play The High Window

    The High Window

    • ABRIDGED (2 hrs and 41 mins)
    • By Raymond Chandler
    • Narrated By Elliott Gould
    Overall
    (10)
    Performance
    (5)
    Story
    (5)

    A wealthy Pasadena widow with a mean streak, a missing daughter-in-law with a past, and a gold coin worth a small fortune - the elements don't quite add up until Marlowe discovers evidence of murder, rape, blackmail, and the worst kind of human exploitation.

  • 3.9 (600 ratings)
    The Fifth Woman: A Kurt Wallander Mystery
    Play The Fifth Woman: A Kurt Wallander Mystery

    The Fifth Woman: A Kurt Wallander Mystery

    • UNABRIDGED (17 hrs and 3 mins)
    • By Henning Mankell
    • Narrated By Dick Hill
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (600)
    Performance
    (214)
    Story
    (216)

    In an African convent, four nuns and an unidentified fifth woman are brutally murdered, and the death of the unknown woman is covered up by the local police. A year later in Sweden, Inspector Kurt Wallander is baffled and appalled by two strange murders with an elusive connection to the fifth woman.

    Rebecca says: "A new Henning Mankell fan is born"
  • Joyland

    • UNABRIDGED (7 hrs and 33 mins)
    • By Stephen King
    • Narrated By Michael Kelly
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    Set in a small-town North Carolina amusement park in 1973, Joyland tells the story of the summer in which college student Devin Jones comes to work as a carny and confronts the legacy of a vicious murder, the fate of a dying child, and the ways both will change his life forever. Joyland is a brand-new novel and has never previously been published.

  • The Deep Blue Good-By: A Travis McGee Novel, Book 1
    Play The Deep Blue Good-By: A Travis McGee Novel, Book 1

    The Deep Blue Good-By: A Travis McGee Novel, Book 1

    • UNABRIDGED (6 hrs)
    • By John D. MacDonald
    • Narrated By Robert Petkoff
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (771)
    Performance
    (652)
    Story
    (668)

    He's a self-described beach bum who won his houseboat in a card game. He's also a knight errant who's wary of credit cards, retirement benefits, political parties, mortgages, and television. He only works when his cash runs out, and his rule is simple: he'll help you find whatever was taken from you, as long as he can keep half.

    Michael Cavacini says: "An Entertaining Start To A Classic Series"
  • Robert B. Parker's Wonderland
    Play Robert B. Parker's Wonderland

    Robert B. Parker's Wonderland

    • UNABRIDGED (7 hrs and 2 mins)
    • By Ace Atkins, Robert B. Parker (creator)
    • Narrated By Joe Mantegna
    Overall
    (12)
    Performance
    (11)
    Story
    (11)

    Henry Cimoli and Spenser have been friends for years, yet the old boxing trainer has never asked the private eye for a favor. Until now. A heavy-handed developer is trying to buy up Henry's condo on Revere Beach and sends thugs to move the process along. Soon Spenser and his apprentice, Zebulon Sixkill, find a trail leading to a mysterious and beautiful woman, a megalomaniacal Las Vegas kingpin, and plans to turn a chunk of land north of Boston into a sprawling casino. Bitter rivals emerge, alliances turn, and the uglier pieces of the Boston political machine look to put an end to Spenser's investigation.

    James says: "Ace aces Robert Parker's Spenser."
  • Nightmare in Pink: A Travis McGee Novel, Book 2
    Play Nightmare in Pink: A Travis McGee Novel, Book 2

    Nightmare in Pink: A Travis McGee Novel, Book 2

    • UNABRIDGED (5 hrs and 42 mins)
    • By John D. MacDonald
    • Narrated By Robert Petkoff
    Overall
    (238)
    Performance
    (203)
    Story
    (196)

    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.

    Bonnie says: "Trav McGee just gets better"
  •  
  • Kill the Dead: Sandman Slim, Book 2
    Play Kill the Dead: Sandman Slim, Book 2

    Kill the Dead: Sandman Slim, Book 2

    • UNABRIDGED (13 hrs and 25 mins)
    • By Richard Kadrey
    • Narrated By MacLeod Andrews
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (462)
    Performance
    (337)
    Story
    (344)

    James Stark, a.k.a. Sandman Slim, crawled out of Hell, took bloody revenge for his girlfriend’s murder, and saved the world along the way. After that, what do you do for an encore? You take a lousy job tracking down monsters for money. It’s a depressing gig, but it pays for your beer and cigarettes. But in L.A., things can always get worse. Like when Lucifer comes to town to supervise his movie biography and drafts Stark as his bodyguard.

    Timmie says: "Wow"
  • A Deadly Shade of Gold: A Travis McGee Novel, Book 5
    Play A Deadly Shade of Gold: A Travis McGee Novel, Book 5

    A Deadly Shade of Gold: A Travis McGee Novel, Book 5

    • UNABRIDGED (11 hrs and 46 mins)
    • By John D. MacDonald
    • Narrated By Robert Petkoff
    Overall
    (115)
    Performance
    (94)
    Story
    (92)

    When McGee picks up the phone and hears a voice from the past, he can't help it. He has to meddle. Especially when he has the chance to reunite Sam Taggart, a reckless, restless man like himself, with the woman who's still waiting for him. But what begins as a simple matchmaking scheme soon becomes a bloody chase that takes McGee to Mexico, a beautiful country - and one from which he hopes to return alive.

    Aaron P. Lazar says: "Travis McGee - a hero for all time"
  • Darker Than Amber: A Travis McGee Novel, Book 7
    Play Darker Than Amber: A Travis McGee Novel, Book 7

    Darker Than Amber: A Travis McGee Novel, Book 7

    • UNABRIDGED (6 hrs and 40 mins)
    • By John D. MacDonald
    • Narrated By Robert Petkoff
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (78)
    Performance
    (65)
    Story
    (65)

    Travis McGee never shies away from damsels in distress. But this Eurasian beauty was different. When Travis and Meyer rescued her from the water, she had a block of cement wired to her feet, and she wasn't so much grateful as ready to snare them in a murder racket to end all murders.

    Anne says: "At last, but hoping for a better Meyer"
  • The Boyfriend
    Play The Boyfriend

    The Boyfriend

    • UNABRIDGED (8 hrs and 41 mins)
    • By Thomas Perry
    • Narrated By Robertson Dean
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (128)
    Performance
    (105)
    Story
    (104)

    Jack Till, who has retired from the LAPD after a respected career as a homicide detective, now works as a private investigator, comfortable chasing down routine cases while visiting his 24-year-old daughter, Holly, who has Down Syndrome. But when the parents of a recently murdered young girl, about Holly's age, ask for his help when the police come up empty, Till reluctantly takes the case.

    richard says: "Derivative of the Butcher's Boy: a mistake."
  •  
  • A Purple Place for Dying: A Travis McGee Novel, Book 3
    Play A Purple Place for Dying: A Travis McGee Novel, Book 3

    A Purple Place for Dying: A Travis McGee Novel, Book 3

    • UNABRIDGED (6 hrs and 14 mins)
    • By John D. MacDonald
    • Narrated By Robert Petkoff
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (171)
    Performance
    (144)
    Story
    (140)

    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!

    Bonnie says: "A man from the first half of the 20th century"
  • March Violets
    Play March Violets

    March Violets

    • UNABRIDGED (9 hrs and 18 mins)
    • By Philip Kerr
    • Narrated By John Lee
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (351)
    Performance
    (148)
    Story
    (145)

    Hailed by Salman Rushdie as a "brilliantly innovative thriller-writer", Philip Kerr is the creator of taut, gripping, noir-tinged mysteries set in Nazi-era Berlin that are nothing short of spellbinding. The first book of the Berlin Noir trilogy, March Violets introduces listeners to Bernie Gunther, an ex-policeman who thought he'd seen everything on the streets of 1930s Berlin - until he turned freelance and each case he tackled sucked him further into the grisly excesses of Nazi subculture.

    Molly says: "Gripping but graphic"
  • Bright Orange for the Shroud: A Travis McGee Novel, Book 6
    Play Bright Orange for the Shroud: A Travis McGee Novel, Book 6

    Bright Orange for the Shroud: A Travis McGee Novel, Book 6

    • UNABRIDGED (8 hrs and 16 mins)
    • By John D. MacDonald
    • Narrated By Robert Petkoff
    Overall
    (88)
    Performance
    (75)
    Story
    (74)

    Travis things he's in for a quiet summer until a walking zombie of a man, Arthur Wilkinson, stumbles aboard The Busted Flush. He's the latest victim of a fragile-looking blond sexpot who uses the blackest arts of love to lure unsuspecting suckers into a web of sordid schemes. Gone, suddenly, are the lazy, hazy days of summer as Travis becomes embroiled in one of the most dangerous, dirtiest cases of his career.

    Marilyn says: "Finally, unabridged!"
  • The Pale Criminal: Berlin Noir
    Play The Pale Criminal: Berlin Noir

    The Pale Criminal: Berlin Noir

    • UNABRIDGED (9 hrs and 20 mins)
    • By Philip Kerr
    • Narrated By John Lee
    Overall
    (204)
    Performance
    (84)
    Story
    (85)

    The Pale Criminal brings back Bernie Gunther, an ex-policeman who thought he'd seen everything on the streets of 1930s Berlin - until he turned freelance, and each case he tackled sucked him further into the grisly excesses of Nazi subculture. Hard-hitting, fast-paced, and richly detailed, The Pale Criminal is noir writing at its blackest and best.

    Michael says: "Esxcellent Historical Fiction; Gripping ..."
  • Robert B. Parker's Wonderland
    Play Robert B. Parker's Wonderland

    Robert B. Parker's Wonderland

    • UNABRIDGED (7 hrs and 2 mins)
    • By Ace Atkins, Robert B. Parker (creator)
    • Narrated By Joe Mantegna
    Overall
    (12)
    Performance
    (11)
    Story
    (11)

    Henry Cimoli and Spenser have been friends for years, yet the old boxing trainer has never asked the private eye for a favor. Until now. A heavy-handed developer is trying to buy up Henry's condo on Revere Beach and sends thugs to move the process along. Soon Spenser and his apprentice, Zebulon Sixkill, find a trail leading to a mysterious and beautiful woman, a megalomaniacal Las Vegas kingpin, and plans to turn a chunk of land north of Boston into a sprawling casino. Bitter rivals emerge, alliances turn, and the uglier pieces of the Boston political machine look to put an end to Spenser's investigation.

    James says: "Ace aces Robert Parker's Spenser."
  • The Deputy
    Play The Deputy

    The Deputy

    • UNABRIDGED (6 hrs and 6 mins)
    • By Victor Gischler
    • Narrated By Evan Greenberg
    Overall
    (3)
    Performance
    (3)
    Story
    (3)

    Coyote Crossing is a dusty little sh*thole town in western Oklahoma. A sleepy little pit stop for truckers, not a lot going on. So a dead body in the middle of the street at midnight is quite an event. The chief of police wants all hands on deck, so he calls Toby Sawyer to come babysit the body. Toby doesn’t have a lot going for him. Twenty-five, a couple of years of junior college, married to a girl he got pregnant, and living in a trailer on the edge of town. He’s working part time for the police department, hoping the budget comes through and they can put him on full time, so he can get health benefits.

    Richard G. Hough says: "Depity Dog or Beaky Buzzard"
  • April North
    Play April North

    April North

    • UNABRIDGED (4 hrs and 34 mins)
    • By Lawrence Block
    • Narrated By Lise Bruneau
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    Innocent high school student April North gave her virginity to Dan, her long-time steady, an expression of pure love that she thought was the first step to marriage. But when Dan spreads the word, she finds herself marked with a scarlet letter - not A for adultery, but E for easy - and in a town like Antrim, Ohio, a girl with a reputation has no future at all. Ashamed of her newfound passion, she is ready to run away when she meets Craig, a 20-something playboy with a fast car and fast friends who shows her that sex isn’t something to fear.

  • Cry at Dusk
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    Cry at Dusk

    • UNABRIDGED (5 hrs and 9 mins)
    • By Lester Dent
    • Narrated By Mark Ashby
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    Johnny Marks knows all about running, and not just because he’s a standout on the football field. Ever since he was 12, he’s been raised by his shady Uncle Walter, moving from town to town and using a different name each time, until forged transcripts land him a place at a top-tier college. Johnny, now going by the name Oliver Stringer, doesn’t know why he and his uncle are on the run, only that the reason is somehow connected to his late father. Stringer thinks that by being in the public eye, no one will suspect his past identities. But when he appears on a sports newsreel, the wrong people notice him.

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  • Gigolo Johnny Wells
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    Gigolo Johnny Wells

    • UNABRIDGED (4 hrs and 26 mins)
    • By Lawrence Block
    • Narrated By Mark Delgado
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    Johnny Wells is a boy with goals. Not noble ones, perhaps, but, still, he has ambition. He intends to be the best damn hustler New York has ever seen. He wants sharp suits, rich food, and high-class women who pay to take him home. He has the looks; he has the charm. But he needs cash to get started. An easy mark gives him the opportunity. He runs his usual game, charming his way into dinner and eventually into the woman’s bedroom. But then he thinks, why not get more?

  • Five O'Clock Lightning: A Novel About Baseball, Politics, and Murder
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    Five O'Clock Lightning: A Novel About Baseball, Politics, and Murder

    • UNABRIDGED (8 hrs and 17 mins)
    • By William L. DeAndrea
    • Narrated By Mark Delgado
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    In 1953 America, McCarthyism is everywhere. Congressman Rex Harwood Simmons is among the leaders who single-mindedly hunt down suspected Communists; he even claims that Communism has infiltrated America’s favorite pastime. But while watching a Yankee game one afternoon, he becomes a target. As the crowd cheers for a home run, Simmons is shot dead in his seat. The task of solving the crime falls to onetime ballplayer and Korean War veteran Russ Garrett, who collaborates with “Vicious Aloysius” Murphy, a Bronx homicide detective.

  • Strange Embrace
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    Strange Embrace

    • UNABRIDGED (5 hrs and 10 mins)
    • By Lawrence Block
    • Narrated By Kurt Elftmann
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    In just a few hours, Johnny Lane’s newest Broadway creation begins previews, and he cannot find his leading lady. Elaine is a nobody, but his show A Touch of Squalor will make her a star, and Johnny won’t let her miss it. There are only a few miles between his penthouse and Alphabet City, but the short cab ride to Elaine’s apartment is enough to carry this producer into New York’s hellish depths. On the top floor of a decrepit tenement, he finds the would-be diva dead on her bed, her throat slashed by a straight razor. Before he can debut his production, Johnny will avenge his murdered star.

  • A Girl Called Honey
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    A Girl Called Honey

    • UNABRIDGED (4 hrs and 21 mins)
    • By Lawrence Block, Donald E. Westlake
    • Narrated By Katie Hale
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
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    It started out innocently enough. Disowned by her God-fearing parents, Honour Mercy Bane takes up a new name - Honey - and a new profession as a prostitute. After just two weeks’ work she falls for Richie, a skinny little virgin who’s gone AWOL from air force training and looking for a place to hide. Honey takes him to New York City, where a $20 trick draws $200 and the city’s power players go gaga for a Southern belle.

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  • So Willing
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    So Willing

    • UNABRIDGED (5 hrs and 36 mins)
    • By Lawrence Block, Donald E. Westlake
    • Narrated By Gary Telles
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    A certified sex-hunter at 17, Vince is making the leap to that most elusive game: the maiden. With his skills, seducing a virgin would be short work but for a simple problem: He can’t find any. First there’s Betty, whom he beds before learning she has a prude’s reputation only because she restricts her affairs to men from other towns. Then there’s Rhonda, frigid until a few sips of wine send her into an all-too-familiar sexual frenzy; and Adele, a sylphlike beauty who’s far from virginal but doesn’t sleep with boys....

  • Sin Hellcat
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    Sin Hellcat

    • UNABRIDGED (4 hrs and 44 mins)
    • By Lawrence Block, Donald E. Westlake
    • Narrated By Mark Ashby
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
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    Harvey Christopher is a successful man. After 12 years on Madison Avenue, he owns a suburban palace complete with electric oven, electric icebox, and an electric wife - all of them highly functional but completely unresponsive to his needs. A brush with a college-flame-turned-successful-streetwalker sends him down memory lane - a road that leads straight to her bedroom. She gives him a tumble on the house, and then offers a proposition: a bit of criminal mischief that will take him far from suburbia, and far from his wife - because every ad-man deserves a vacation.

    Marguerite says: "Great combination of Block and Westlake"
  • The Trouble with Eden
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    The Trouble with Eden

    • UNABRIDGED (13 hrs and 49 mins)
    • By Lawrence Block
    • Narrated By Mark Delgado
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    New Hope, Pennsylvania, offers a quaint country experience that tourists just adore. But what’s not in the postcards is the town’s web of liberated lovers, who switch bedfellows faster than you can say swinger. When Linda’s man Marc leaves her, she quickly becomes the new catch in town. Her landlord’s got a few ladies on the side, so what’s one more? And then there’s Pete, the sensitive theater guy who hits her up to get high but might be looking for more.

  • Candy
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    Candy

    • UNABRIDGED (5 hrs and 11 mins)
    • By Lawrence Block
    • Narrated By Gary Telles
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
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    Jeff Flanders has a nice little job, a nice little wife, and absolutely nothing to get excited about. All that goes down the drain when he meets Candy, a small-town girl who looks as sweet as her name, but is bitter to the core. She offers him her body - the best he’s ever seen - for the bargain price of $1,000, and he can’t refuse. The affair turns Jeff’s world inside out, and he takes to her like she’s a drug, giving up half his paycheck every week for the privilege of taking Candy to bed. But when Candy finds a new keeper on Park Avenue, Jeff’s life spins out of control....

    mindusq says: "Sublime sleaze!"