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    Donald Chula Vista, CA, USA 11-03-07
    Donald Chula Vista, CA, USA 11-03-07
    HELPFUL VOTES
    49
    ratings
    REVIEWS
    15
    5
    FOLLOWERS
    FOLLOWING
    2
    0
    Overall
    "Superb"

    This audiobook is a huge amount of fun. An exciting thriller, tightly written, with first-rate narration. Starts a little slow, but after the first hour there is hardly a boring moment. A very enjoyable thriller that I would recommend to anybody.

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    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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    Laurie Florence, KY, United States 10-26-07
    Laurie Florence, KY, United States 10-26-07 Member Since 2012
    HELPFUL VOTES
    756
    ratings
    REVIEWS
    350
    247
    FOLLOWERS
    FOLLOWING
    50
    0
    Overall
    "a finder, not a keeper"

    First, I have listened to all of Finder's books and have enjoyed them very much. I love his dialog, and the fact that he uses job specific lingo is impressive. I have to admit, however, that this book starts to border on the ridiculous towards the end. I have found that in most of his books, the beginning hooks you, but the ending disappoints you.

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    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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    Dave Riverhead, NY, USA 09-17-07
    Dave Riverhead, NY, USA 09-17-07
    HELPFUL VOTES
    166
    ratings
    REVIEWS
    77
    10
    FOLLOWERS
    FOLLOWING
    0
    0
    Overall
    "Power Play"

    The book was way too short. The story was good and different than most. Definitely worth the price. The narration was excellent. Finally, a narrator that measures up to Scott Brick.

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    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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    Mariah Oakton, VA, United States 09-14-07
    Mariah Oakton, VA, United States 09-14-07
    HELPFUL VOTES
    81
    ratings
    REVIEWS
    25
    11
    FOLLOWERS
    FOLLOWING
    0
    0
    Overall
    "Slow Start--Fine Finish"

    Power Play fails to deliver the same thrills as Joseph Finder did in Paranoia, Company Man and Killer Instinct. The first half of the book spends too much time focused on the corporate background, which is marred by having too many power players for the reader to untangle or care about. The female CEO is a particulary bland character, who never really steps off the page as more than a stereotype. It's not until the bad guys arrive that the tale begins to gather momentum. The hero, Jake Landry, though, does not disappoint and brings the book to a rip roaring finish. A good read for people patient enough to wade through the corporate dribble that ruins the first half of the book.

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    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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    Alton A. Ivory 09-09-07
    Alton A. Ivory 09-09-07 Member Since 2018
    HELPFUL VOTES
    220
    ratings
    REVIEWS
    124
    53
    FOLLOWERS
    FOLLOWING
    3
    0
    Overall
    "great book !"

    This was a great book . This time dealing with the aerospace industry. It had good characters , nice plot , and a fast pace. definately a good listen . also there is a nice 20 minute interview with the author at the end.

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    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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    Louise WINTON, CA, USA 09-07-07
    Louise WINTON, CA, USA 09-07-07
    HELPFUL VOTES
    260
    ratings
    REVIEWS
    198
    51
    FOLLOWERS
    FOLLOWING
    13
    0
    Overall
    "Scott can take a break"


    I am so delighted that I did download and listen to this novel. Even though Scott Brick didn't narrate
    the experience was superberb.
    Typical of Joe Finder novels humor is found here in a very very tense situation.

    For a really good time listen to a Joeseph Finder novel.






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    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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    Book worm Greensboro, North Carolina 08-30-07
    Book worm Greensboro, North Carolina 08-30-07 Member Since 2007
    HELPFUL VOTES
    5
    ratings
    REVIEWS
    24
    9
    FOLLOWERS
    FOLLOWING
    0
    0
    Overall
    "I really wanted to give it four stars!"

    I really enjoyed Joseph Finder's previous 3 audio titles, so when I heard that a new title was coming out at the end of August I downloaded it immediately.

    Killer Instinct shares great dialogue, realistic characters and an uncanny ability to create and describe the politics and back-stabbing that go on at the upper levels of corporations with Finder's previous 3 titles Paranoia, Company Man and Killer Instinct. The major weakness of Power Play is in it's under developed plot. Not that the theme of the book is not engaging; it is, it is just not enough to create a book of any substantial length.

    The book is based on the question "What would happen if the high level managers of a major corporation brought together for corporate team building adventure games suddenly found themselves in a life or death situation?" This is a great question, but I am not convinced that Finder extracted all that he could out of it. Also, near the start of the book he introduced a potentially interesting sub-plot related to the manufacturing of fiber reinforced plastics for airplanes that I felt could have been used more effectively through the rest of the book.

    The weak plot is tragic because this book could have been so much more. If we were using a 10 point rating scale I would have given it a 7 out of 10. I still enjoyed it, but my favourite Finder audio book is Paranoia.

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    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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    Howard Scottsdale, AZ, United States 11-19-07
    Howard Scottsdale, AZ, United States 11-19-07
    HELPFUL VOTES
    185
    ratings
    REVIEWS
    55
    28
    FOLLOWERS
    FOLLOWING
    4
    0
    Overall
    "Not So Thrilling Thriller"

    The premise of the plot is exciting and intriguing. All of the senior executives of a large publicly held aerospace company, are on an annual team-building retreat in a secluded lodge, totally without communications with the outside world. The lodge is taken over by a bunch of hoods, who hold them hostage for the payment of $500 million. It quickly becomes apparent that the executives are the victims of a well-planned plot aimed at them. Just to make sure that they take their plight seriously, a few are killed early on, and, in order to save their own lives, the captives start trying to figure out how to transfer that enormous sum of money to the thugs. In fact, the only ones in the company who could effectuate the payment to the kidnappers, are the hostages themselves.

    While that’s pretty exciting stuff, the plot is transparent and not easily believable. The characters are one-dimensional and only mildly interesting corporate stereotypes, living with endless intra-corporate intrigues and rivalries. The hero is so improbable that he should be wearing a superman costume.

    Still, I did want to learn how it would all turn out, and there was enough suspense to keep me reading. There were a few interesting bits about the engineering problems of building a jet plane, and I wish there were more. Some insight into the struggles of a woman as CEO over a group of men, was welcomed. Fortunately, the story progressed rapidly and the book was not tedious.

    This is a mediocre, but not terribly bad, adventure/suspense novel, which is perfect for interrupted listening while traveling. You can come back to it after long absences between trips, and pick up the thread of the story without confusion or wondering what’s going on. The characters are relatively few, as are the events. This is not a literary book, and I can think of many others of this genre that are better reads. Having bought it, though, I never thought of not finishing it.

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    2 of 3 people found this review helpful
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    Girlbos 09-07-07
    Girlbos 09-07-07 Member Since 2004
    HELPFUL VOTES
    155
    ratings
    REVIEWS
    101
    58
    FOLLOWERS
    FOLLOWING
    4
    0
    Overall
    "Very Average"

    Am I the only Finder fan who was disappointed with this book? First off, I don't know why Scott Brick wasn't used as the narrator, but he should have been. This narrator was fine, but wasn't Brick. Second, I felt the first 1/2 of the book was so slow. It wasn't grabbing my attention and I had to go back several times and re-listen - not because I couldn't understand it, but because I was bored and not paying attention. Lastly, I think as a soldier in Corporate America, I could relate to some extent to characters in his other books or they reminded me of people I have worked with. In this book everyone seemed far-fetched.

    I am interested in other Finder fans take on this book. I hope he isn't losing his touch so soon. If you are a fan of his but have other stuff on your wishlist, this one can wait.

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    2 of 3 people found this review helpful
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    James W. 08-12-17
    James W. 08-12-17 Member Since 2017
    HELPFUL VOTES
    2
    ratings
    REVIEWS
    33
    29
    FOLLOWERS
    FOLLOWING
    0
    0
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    "Slow start but a good ending"
    What did you like best about Power Play? What did you like least?

    The best part of the book was to the final third when Jake finally decided to take action. The story was gripping and exciting from this point to the end. What I liked the least was the slow start and a very slow part that followed the initial hostage-taking.


    If you’ve listened to books by Joseph Finder before, how does this one compare?

    I've only heard one before. I think that this book had a slower start, but was otherwise similar in exploring corporate espionage and very ordinary heros.


    What about Dennis Boutsikaris’s performance did you like?

    He ensured that the story was front and center. Truth be told, I hadn't even thought of the narrator until this question, which is a good thing. He never got in the way of the story.


    Could you see Power Play being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

    Definitely. I could see Matthew McConnaughy as Jake Landry.


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    0 of 0 people found this review helpful