Ken

I've listened to a lot of stories in the past few years, and this one stands out as one of the best. You are pulled in quickly and you want to stay with it. One of those where you feel a little sad when it ends.

Story was engaging, but lacked credibility. Yes, the Federal Reserve Bank can make major decisions that can significantly alter financial positions. And the broad stroke explanations provided in the book are OK as far as they go. But it's too much of a stretch to expect the villain in this story to have been able to manipulate and profit in the manner described. Based on my personal business experience with former members of the Fed, I felt it was a little too far fetched. On the other hand, I did find the high tech content to be very believable.

The narration was flat and underwhelming, Marosz was monotone and inflectionless.

The characters are well developed...but not a hero among them. Virtually nothing good happens in this story. It’s sad, depressing and without action.

A young reasonably stable and capable couple both go “postal” when the reality of being laid off in a bad economy begins to sink in. The guy becomes obsessed with mysterious noises only he can hear. He has illusions of some kind of animal running around in the attic, and he aims to capture or trap it. In the process, he bashes holes in the walls, installs electronic monitors and even sets a huge spring trap. I will stop here in case you choose to listen to it anyway. But don’t say I didn’t warn you. Nothing good happens.

The story line of a tough childhood and how this guy manages to develop character traits that were fashioned by his orphanage roots keeps you listening and often on edge. Will his next encounter with danger cause him to abandon his best friend and or his family? Or will he remain true to his hard earned principles and do the right thing even when it hurts? His best friend is a felon who you will learn to love. You just can't get enough of this guy.

If you're like me, you get bored with long listens that lack action, and with writers that fill pages with never ending descriptions of irrelevant things. This novel has a small dose of writer's drivel, but it has enough action and suspense to make it well worth your time.

Scott Brick does well with some of his voice changes to help with the character distinctions...nice job with the best friend. But overall, I found him overly dramatic too often. I really enjoy hearing multiple narrators. I listen to several books per month and I've really come to appreciate a combination of male and female narrators. I think it really adds value, and I hope to find more books that offer that feature. Cheers, Ken

Bennett gets knocked around. His family becomes endangered. He flirts with another officer or agent. His Nannie gets irritated. And to top it all off, this one leaves us with a psychopath still on the loose and out to get Bennett.

A minor irritant, but the author refers to wines, literature, hotels, food and over the top clothing as if cops and other average people can relate to these things and their astronomic prices. Reminds me of the nouveau riche trying to impress people with their new found ability to afford the excesses. Falls in the category of sophomoric writing where one's sleeve gets in the way as one writes due to the writer wearing everything on his or her sleeve.

I'm curious, does this come from Patterson or Ledwidge?

I'v listened to 4 Patterson books in the last week, and the best by far was this one. Having male and female voices makes a huge difference as one follows the dialogue. I will look for that feature as I search for my future books. I just hope the writers read these reviews and take note. Multiple readers really makes for a much better listen.

Just when you think you have things figured out, she pulls the plug and off you go chasing the next suspect. I enjoyed the journey.

This story would make a great movie! Their are roles for at least a dozen good actors and enough action to keep you worried, scared, satiated, surprised, etc. The hero is a gangster who earns your support as you learn more about him. He's no angel, but his enemies are worse. I'm pretty certain you will enjoy the trip through his life's encounters.

On a scale of 1 to 10, the detective work ranks 9, and the action ranks 4. The hero lacks human character traits and often falls short on the likable and believable scales. The constant references to the lack of coordination within the various government security and or peace keeping forces becomes tiring. Since things are not always what they seem to be, you do get twisted around a few times which adds interest to the tale. But overall, it was forgettable.

When a book holds your interest by getting you to avoid attending to other pressing issues, you have to give credit to the writer. It's not a literary work for the ages. It's like attending a movie you found enjoyable.

Not great, but certainly not bad. Not likely to remember much, and not likely to advise other reading friends to be sure to include on their wish list.