Debbie Woodruff

Ugh, I don't know where to begin with how bad this book is. Yes, as others have said, the female narrator just sounds wrong for the characters. Also, the stupid music is intrusive and ridiculous, as are the other sound effects. I just want to hear the dang book read to me! But most of all, this was just a bad book. Baldacci is getting lazy, the story is over the top, so melodramatic this should be a soap opera. The characters are flat and stereotypical, the supposedly smart people act very stupid, we are reminded how rich certain characters are over and over. I did finish listening to this awful book, but only because I'm stubborn and hate wasting a credit. It was one of those books that I find myself yelling to "Oh, come on," and finally just wishing for it to be over.

One of the things I love most about the in Death series, is how the characters, especially Eve, have evolved over time. The author manages to keep Eve's toughness, while allowing her to show her softer, loving side, and also keep the raw terror of her childhood memories. It is brilliant, and the narrator is perfect. She is Eve, as well as all the other characters. I especially love her portrayal of Peabody. I definitely recommend New York to Dallas.

Mr. Coben is a good storyteller (the reason I actually finished this book), who's writing has matured considerably since he wrote this book. Note to Mr. Coben: Just because you are famous now is not a reason to publish a sub-par book that you wrote years ago. I purchased it right away, not realizing that it was an older book, and suffered through 17+ hours. In this book:

1. All the women are either the most beautiful woman in the world, or fat cows, and their beauty seems to be their reason for existence. All is accepted and forgiven, even some serious character flaws that would get those fat cows booted out in an instant.
2. Everyone, especially the women, is supposed to be a smart business person, doctor, or cop, yet they are so stupid that I found myself continually yelling at them.
3. One of the main characters is a cop, but he acts more like a mobster, lying, threatening, etc.
4. The writing is so melodramatic that when combined with the reading of Scott Brick (who I usually enjoy), it was so annoying that I couldn't wait for it to be over.

Yes, I finished it. As I said before, the story was interesting. I also hate not finishing a book that I paid for. I finished it, but I was glad when it was finally over.

I enjoyed listening to the book. It was fun to have a different setting (and learn a little Hawaiian instead of a little French!). To correct a previous reviewer, Linda Emond has narrated most of Ms. Reich's books. There have been a few other readers, but Barbara Rosenblat was not one of them.

I have not finished this book, and I admit it is not bad, but anyone who purchases it should be aware that this is not a new book. It is retitled from a book written in 1998 (I think--the author tells you at the beginning of the book).

It was written before the author moved into suspense, so it is basically a romance novel with some suspense.

There is no way of knowing this from the information available on Audible. I consider this rather unethical, as I was not looking for an old romance novel, but rather one of the excellent suspense novels that this author currently writes.