TJDenver

Yes. I was finding Alan's constant quandries over the ethics of his profession vs. his friend Sam's need to know tedious in White's previous novels, but things really got moving in this latest effort. That theme was still there, but since the Alan and Sam were personally more involved in the case it wasn't a constant presence.

I had read somewhere that this was the end of the Alan Gregory - Sam Purdy series, but enough was left hanging that there's room for more.

The whole series compares to Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware series, right down to the psycologist - cop buddy senario. Since I live in Denver, and so does White, and his novels are set in Boulder, it's fun to envision the geography that White presents.

He does Iron Range accents well.

That's never possible. I listen to audio books while driving or working out, seldom more than an hour or two at a time.

A few were very good, some just didn't register with me. Unfortunately, I was listening while driving, and didn't have a way to note which was which, other than Charlaine Harris's short story. (good but no Stookie Stackhouse)

I was curious as to how Rowlings would write for an adult audience. The Casual Vacancy kind of reminded me of an Anthony Trollop novel, a small town full of self important people, a lot of character development and not a lot happening until the end. I'm glad that I stuck with it, she really wrapped it up nicely, and Tom Hollander was a good choice for the narrator.

I was listening to a Tana French Dublin Murder Squad novel at the same time, and it was a bit jarring, the narrator's dialects were fairly similar, but what a difference in story.

In answer to a question in your guided review, I don't think that the book needs a follow up in the same location. I am curious how the teen agers who moved made out, but I'm done with the town council.

Too many characters, too many "Ok, where did this one come from" moments, but I keep coming back each for more, even if I do have to spend two credits for for each volume.

I was expecting a murder mystery and had a sermon imposed on me instead. I couldn't finish it. Thanks, but I prefer the theological views of Dan Brown (or Sam Brown for that matter) I'm sorry that I wasted an audible credit on it.