Richard

The more I read Burke, the more I appreciate his sensibilities. He puts thought into his characters, his plots, and his writing. As a keen observer of the natural world, his settings invariably serve as a stark foil to the human machinations at play. The hobbled dignity and isolation of his protagonists serve the genre well, and the reader always learns from them. Will Patton is outstanding as a narrator. Burke has done it again with a great "read"....

Whenever I spot the new release of a Mike Connelly book, I download it immediately. 'Tis a matter of reflex. And I am never disappointed. "The Drop" is a great listen, augmented by Cariou's flawless narration.

Connelly's economy of language, clarity, and tightly crafted plots keep the listener engaged without effort. He is meticulous and credible on police procedure. And his characters always emerge, to a great extent, by default - that is, as a function of the compelling settings he creates.

I usually listen to his books when exercising. I hate to shut off the narration when I stop. And the thought of picking it up again gets me out when I don't want to go.

"The Drop"'s story line suggests that the shelf life on Harry Bosch may be good for another five years. This reader hopes that will translate, at a minimum, into five more Bosch-oriented books.

What Louie L'Amour was to Westerns, Mr. Connelly is to the Detective genre. But he is a better writer.

I downloaded this book based upon a recommendation by Audible. It was a good choice. Littell parallels near all the better known events attending the Cold War, and does so in compelling fashion through the prism of the CIA. His characters, many of whom are historically familiar, are nicely brought to life in their difficult and self-imposed isolation. Their interactions with the events of the era are thoughtfully plausible, and he is deft at sustaining the tension-filled momentum over four-plus decades - no small task. There really wasn't a dull moment. Kudos to Audible for putting it on their "must" listen list.

Connelly's confident economy of language, well-crafted plots, and skillfully revealed characters always add up to a great listen or read. In this murder trial drama, one comes to appreciate the vicissitudes of a game well played by all the legal participants. Connelly's thorough grasp of courtroom procedure is an education unto itself. Once again, he shows himself to be the premiere crime writer of the day.

George Guidal is testament to the power of narration in taking a good story across the finish line..........thoroughly enjoyed Flynn's latest page turner.

King's rather defensive pontificating at the end of these three stories detracts from his effort. All seemed a tad formulaic. The first was simply too long and hampered by an affected, sing-song, adolescent narration. The other two held together better, but one never gets a good sense of what it is about these women's characters that led to their reacting as they did.
I was thoroughly engaged by King's lengthy "Tower" series, a real tour de force of the imagination. It appears he was just "mailing these in". Perhaps that explains his over earnest personal comments to the reader as a post script.

If there is an espionage counterpart to Peter Benchley's "Jaws", this would seem to be it. The author serves up an unpretentious, fast-paced thriller featuring Court Gentry, a white knight assassin with more lives than Rasputin. Don't look for a lot of nuance here. But if you are going for a page turner, capably executed from beginning to end, this is it...

According fictional characters iconic status for the purpose of historic relevancy is a risky business. Follett takes his chances here and falls flat. The players in this story are shabbily drawn. They do little to engage listener interest or empathy. In his attempt to touch all the bases attending Western society up to and through WW I, his reliance upon coincidence is self-consciously overwrought. The more historically-minded will appreciate a tolerable deference to the accuracy of events as they unfolded - particularly in Russia - but in his effort to represent a comprehensive chronology, he sacrifices plot and character. Good concept; bad execution.

Marlantes grips the reader as he combines a solid plot line with exceptional character interaction. He chronicles with skill a young second lieutenant's path to a maturity of sorts as the latter confronts the fecklessness of circumstance in a war guided by disparate layers of politics - interpersonal, institutional, and national. Bravo Company pays a heavy price at the nexus between this reality and an unforgiving jungle terrain inhabited by a motivated enemy. The author gives credence to what a rough tutor terror and deprivation can be in forging human bonds and a modicum of wisdom. The tale is well narrated by Mr. Pinchot, and for this listener, proved utterly absorbing

Kudos to narrator, Mark Hammer, for taking a great book and making it better with his thoughtful pacing, accent, and inflection. He makes this book sing. And Mr. Burke is on top of his form. His capacity to use the natural environment as an omnipresent counterpoint to an intriguing plot stands out. Burke's dialogue is masterful even as it serves to reveal characters of substance. Readers of this genre will not go wrong with this one.The quality of the writing sets a high bar for his contemporaries....thoroughly enjoyed it.