K Barrett

A trend in crime fiction seems to be endless musings over simple details of life. Carofiglio goes down that path, too. Yet he makes these musings meaningful rather than pulling you out of the story by wondering what polishing every little detail has to do with moving the story forward. Guido is a man who lives a flawed existance and still manages. I enjoyed being introduced to his world. And the crime in question is topical. I'd have rated it 4.5 stars overall if that was possible.

I've listened to several books by Sean Barrett. His voice and reading truly adds to this story. His sense of worldliness comes through turning what could be a whiny yarn into musings of a man who has lived a full yet flawed life.

I hated this book the first time I listened to it. I put it aside and only when I was stuck for something to listen to did I go back. I still hate the way the author writes, changing a well known phrase with another word in an effort to dress it up. It just grates and pulls me out of the story.

But once the action gets going there's no stopping it. Bombs, explosions, high-tech ordinance, supernatural marksmanship and heros that don't feel pain. What's not to like?

My low score is for the audio production. Music swells and fades between chapter breaks and it can be distracting and annoying. Sometimes, depending on where you are lisening to the book, the ambient noise in addition to the music can drown out the narration, making you have to scroll back to hear the story once the noise has stopped, suspending your involvement in the story. The producers should be aware that the listener isn't always in a locale where one can hang on every word.

Otherwise the story is vintage Connelly, full of twists and turns that keep you riveted.