"The way an audio book should be"
Mr. Baldacci turns in another suspense thriller. An unlikely alliance, twists, and tense moments keep this a riveting listen. With a male narrator, the use of a woman for women's voices made this even more enjoyable. Having gender appropriate voices for the roles should be the norm for audio books.
"Odd choices"
probably, but I would tell them my thoughts and let them decide
Good plot, nice suspense building. He combined action in various venues into the story.
Just about anyone. It was an odd choice having a British narrator for an American novel. Americans now don't pronounce their "r"s. Worse- it seems everyone east of Austria speaks with a guttural voice- very difficult to distinguish characters. I found the most distracting.
The plot was good, but the dialogue was often tedious. Part of that was technically correct- the protocol for giving and receiving order aboard a submarine, part was just plain slow moving, as in the white house discussions. Perhaps accurate as to how it would probably occur, but it doesn't make good listening (or probably reading).
"Dorsey at his best"
If you have never tried one of Tim Dorsey's "Serge" books, this one is a great start. He has been able to maintain these insane characters over several books with extremely creative plots (and murders) while taking his fresh shots at Floridian foibles. As usual, I found myself literally LOL. I'm already impatient for the next book. The only shortfall I noted was vagueness at Johnny Vegas' latest disaster. There is usually a more graphic description of how his dismal record is kept intact. Oliver Wyman has honed his narration to perfection (and we know narrators are gods - read the book). Download this book and be ready for the wild ride -- heck, be bold and live large like Serge, and download all his books! They're addictive.
"King at his best"
I believe this is my favorite King book. Fascinating premise, believable and compelling with its historical detail. I especially appreciated the wonderful stories within the story. It is the tale of noble, selfless love and personal sacrifice for both the common and individual good. I found myself not able to stop listening. The journey keeps one riveted and the ending is bittersweet.
"A most unique story and performance"
I can't recall listening to a more unique story. It's not a simple, nice story. There are no real heroes, or rather, all of the characters are human- flawed, imperfect, struggling, sometimes lost, yet real. This book defies most audible categories. I was reluctant to purchase this, but am glad I did. I suspect I will be ruminating on this for a time to come. I did find the author's use of "you" in describing actions a bit odd in that there really is no one central character, not even Skippy. Yet the "you" appears for many of the characters at various times (but not for others-- strange). The performance, utilizing many voices, it excellent- a real listening treat.
"Cluelss brains?"
It seems that in every single dialogue, the discoveries have to be spelled out one letter at a time. It is as if these intelligent people all become clueless morons when listening to another. It made for endless dialogues that crawled along at a snail's pace. And they comprised a good portion of this book. I think the author was being paid by the page. Not worth four volumes of listening.
"a wacky suspense ride"
This is the second book I have listened to by Moore. He is genuinely original and funny. I only wish he had enough confidence in his humor to leave the profanity behind, or at least tone it down. (It reminds me of stand-up comedians who feel the need to fill their acts with profanity to "be" funny.) This book brings Moore's offbeat humor to a suspense novel. Although it doesn't take much imagination to see how the story ends, its a blast getting to it. If you can tolerate the profanity, I say you will find this a fun ride. There wasn't a moment when the story dragged or bumped.
The reader makes Moore's books come alive. I can't imagine these books read by someone else. He captures the quirkiness in the characterizations and in his narrative reading.
I just bought Fluke and can't wait to get to it.
"One of his best"
If you have never listned to (or read) a Koontz book, start with this one! As if it were a "best of Koontz" it has everything he does so well- fun, whacky, yet very human characters; humor; suspense; and the unusual. I couldn't stop listening to it. I recommended it to my wife, and she couldn't stop listening. I love everything he does, and this is one of my absolute favorites. I "flipped" for it!
"Koontz at play"
The Odd Thomas series are, I believe, Dean Koontz at recess- weaving a wierd, humorous tale. This lighthearted approach is a bit of a departure from some of his other works. Brother Odd may be a bit predictable in plot, but the story is still great fun. This reader has done the entire series, and on this book his characterizations and voices are so well done I "forgot" I was listening to a book- I so thoroughly felt I was listening to Odd himself narrating his adventures. Probably best if you listen to these in order.
"great 'til the end"
Only Stephen King can make exquisite horror from such an everday device. I couldn't stop listening- right up until the end. I was frustrated at first with the abrupt ending, but then just "wrote" my own. Well read, but had some odd tonal variations, probably from later editing.