Jim Nelson

Child's latest is entertaining, if not up to the high standards set by his best collaborative efforts with Douglas Preston (I thought the two authors explored an archeological mystery far more successfully in Thunderhead) . In The Third Gate, Child takes an interesting mix of subjects ranging from near death experiences and scientific exploration to an ancient curse, sets his story in a typically remote location and spins a well-paced, exciting tale. Fans of books like The Ice Limit, Riptide and Deep Storm should have a good time with this one. I did!

I like Stephen King's writing, particularly his flair for character, but I've always preferred his shorter work. Some of his novels are so massive and ambitious that for me, they suffer a bit. This lean, tightly written tale doesn't have that problem. It's a coming of age story, a mystery and a ghost story all rolled into one and King's ability to write believable, interesting characters is definitely on display. It's less "hard" than many of the other entries in the Hard Case Crime library but it's the most enjoyable thing I've read or listened to by King in quite some time. I recommend it but not for King fans expecting a horror novel.

Michael Kelly's reading of the book was superb.

I bought Deliverance on a whim, because Audible had it on sale, and I didn't listen to it for quite some time. That was a mistake. I should have listened to this superb novel immediately, it's one of the better audiobooks i've experienced, perfectly read by Will Patton and vividly imagined by author James Dickey. Dickey was a poet and it's apparent in his insightful writing. His story of a journey into the wilderness gone wrong was incredible. Listen to it. Read it. Just make sure you don't miss it! It's a great book.

Dark Places is a tightly plotted, skillfully written novel that goes exactly where the title suggests it will go. It's dark indeed, so much so that you may feel you need a shower when it's over. That said, it's also a very satisfying listen, well read and gripping. Flynn resolves the mystery she sets up well and she keeps the reader guessing along the way. She also understands her characters (particularly Libby) and the darker side of human nature and that understanding makes the book that much more disturbing. It is the characters as much as the events in Dark Places that unsettle the reader/listener. I can only imagine that writing a book like this, delving into such characters enough to understand them, must be an unsettling experience as well. Highly recommended.

Into the Wild was a good listen, well worth the credit. Krakauer meanders off his central subject a bit but always stays in interesting territory, detailing some of his personal experiences braving the wild as well as those of others. He paints an interesting portrait of Christopher McCandless, helping the reader grasp what may have have motivated the adventurous youth and what may have ultimately befallen him in the Alaskan wilderness.

I'll state right off the bat that the headline of this review may be unfair but I felt like I should give fair warning. I loved Grossman's previous novel, "Soon I Will be Invincible" and highly recommend it. I was looking forward to "You" but unfortunately, it was a disappointing listen. For me, it was the equivalent of listening to a gamer talk about their character or tell you about their video game experience for 13+ hours.

Video games are fun. I've been playing them most of my life and they can be an immersive, engaging experience. One of this novel's themes deals with that aspect of gaming, the degree to which a player identifies with the protagonist they're playing. However, video game characters rarely have much depth and that's where "You" runs into trouble. Grossman's a talented writer but the stakes in this book never feel high and the characterization is pretty thin. There are long passages describing game play that I found very dull, difficult listening. The descriptions of generic characters in fairly generic fantasy and science fiction settings engaging in the sort of activities you'd expect from that combination of elements really dragged. Perhaps readers who avidly play the kind of games described in the book or readers with a keen interest in video game design and programming will find this novel an engrossing listen but for me, it was a tedious slog and I barely made it to the end. After enjoying "Soon I Will Be Invincible" so much, it pains me to say that about "You" but I still consider Austin Grossman a talent worth watching and I hope I'll find his next novel more satisfying.

Meanwhile, unless you're really captivated by the sort of characters and experiences found in fantasy games, think twice about investing your time in this novel. It may not be for you.

Crouch keeps the story moving and the plot twists coming in this dark-but-entertaining suspense novel. I purchased it after listening to his superior (and, if I'm not mistaken, more recent) book Pines, which I highly recommend. Abandon is less satisfying, in part because it's central mystery is solved long before it ends and there were a few too many twists and coincidences for my taste. However, that's nitpicking and if you're looking for an entertaining thriller with some old west flavor (the novel flips back and forth and tells the story of Abandon in two different times), this book is a good ride.

I thought the narration was a little stiff but Luke Daniels seemed to warm up as he read and he did a nice job with accents and dialects. His overall performance, like the book itself, is solid.

The highlight for me was an unexpected bonus, a related short story at the end, read by the author, who does a fine job. I actually enjoyed it more than the novel itself!

I read Gateway back in the '70s and remembered it as a book that sounded cool but disappointed me. Looking back, I wondered if perhaps it was just too mature or too difficult for me to relate to at a young age so I decided to give the audiobook a try. Oliver Wyman's reading is excellent and author Frederick Pohl's basic premise of abandoned alien ships that launch to pre-programmed, but unknown, destinations is one of the better ideas in science fiction. The book never quite delivers on the evocative promise of it's central idea, never quite evokes the sense of wonder, or horror, that you might expect from it. Instead, it focuses on it's flawed central character, Robinet Broadhead, as he faces both his fear of the unknown and the psychological after effects of a journey in one of the alien vessels. It makes for an interesting story but there's so little exploration of the intriguing concept that it's ultimately disappointing. We get a feel for Broadhead's experience but not enough of a feel for what humanity is finding out there, what the alien ships (and alien constructed setting of Gateway itself) are like. The author almost seems disinterested in them. They're a means of exploring Broadhead's character but as a character, he's not fully developed enough for that goal to make Gateway a completely satisfying read.

In the end, while Gateway is a good book and I can recommend it, my second experience with it was as disappointing as the first. If you choose to listen, just go in knowing this book is primarily a character study. Armed with that information, you may enjoy it much more than I did.

I loved the way the story developed, always hinting at it's central mystery while keeping the listener guessing, wondering, what was really going on.

Ethan. The entire story revolves around his experience.

His reading added a level of emotion, tension and drama that I don't think I would have experienced if I had just read the book.

I highly recommend this, especially for fans of TV shows like The Twilight Zone or Persons Unknown.

Paul Malmont's sequel to The Chinatown Death Cloud Peril is every bit as entertaining as it's predecessor. It may be even better and for listeners who may be wary of the word sequel: don't worry. This book holds up fine on it's own. In fact, it's a blast. Malmont's pacing is excellent. He keeps the book moving and pays loving homage to the pulp tales his characters wrote while portraying them convincingly and telling a great story of his own.

Robert Heinlein, L. Ron Hubbard, L. Sprague DeCamp, Isaac Asimov, Walter Gibson (creator of The Shadow) and other pulp writers and historical figures populate this fun WWII-era story and true it's inspiration, it's a wild adventure.

Christopher Lane's reading is superb so if you're looking for an entertaining listen, the Astounding, The Amazing and the Unknown delivers.

I rarely listen to abridged books because I loathe the very idea of slicing books up to make them shorter or more palatable. However, I was bored, I needed entertainment and I thought The Club Dumas would be just right for my mood so I downloaded this abridged audiobook version of the novel. Despite being in the mood for the book, I still might have balked at an abridged version but David Warner was the reader and that sealed the deal for me.

Overall, I loved the book! I won't get into the plot (it can be read elsewhere) but the writing was excellent, the story compelling and the ending very satisfying. Warner's performance didn't disappoint but there were moments where I could clearly feel that something well worth reading had been deleted. Consequently, I'm docking what I think would probably have been a 5 star read one star because it was abridged. I plan to pick up the novel and read it so I can see what I missed but even based on the abridged version, I can highly recommend The Club Dumas. It's a book for book lovers.