Anthony

I had not listened to any of Robert Crais earlier work, but will go back and listen to them now. The opening of the story with Maggie, the German Shepherd in Afghanistan was riveting. The story only got better from there. While Scott James certainly suffered in the opening chapters, it is Maggie's tale that grabs your heart and won't let go. When Maggie is voiced ("Alpha happy, pack happy") you can hear in her words the truth of a dog's life, and you know that someone has taken the time to think about the subject before writing about it.
The only author on par with Crais' explication of dogs is Dean Koontz, and this is easily as good as, if not maybe a little better than some of Koontz's work. As the story unwinds you feel yourself pulling for Scott James, the cop and hero of the book, but you are drawn to Maggie. You keep thinking, I hope she makes it out okay.
This is a terrific book. You won't regret listening to it. In fact, you'll listen to it twice just because it's that good!

In the top 2%.

Odd Thomas continues to be the star of this show. He is quirky, quick with a rejoinder, and unquestionably brave in pursuit of his goal of protecting the vulnerable. You have to love Odd as much for what he isn't (especially talented) as for what he is (resolute).

Koontz has given Odd a distinctive voice, and Baker captures that voice. I really prefer to listen rather than read anything written by Koontz because Baker does such a nice job telling the story.

Odd always makes me laugh.

I canot wait to listen to the next installment due out in May of 2013.

about the middle 40% or so.

The Sandford Prey series. Like the Prey series, this series focuses on one cop, and one set of methods.

I feel like he knows and understand's Bosch.

Cold cases can burn you too...

The only thing I didn't like is the fact that the female character in the book never has her motivation explained. Other than that, it was terrific.

Haven't seen the print version, but the audio version was outstanding.

Jolee Ann Harmony. Her view of Odd and her take on the world were refreshing. Ed was my second favorite.

The conversation between Ed and Odd as he prepares to take on Hiskoff.

Jolee Ann Harmony -- just because I think the kid could use a break.

This was easily as enjoyable as any of the prior full Odd Thomas books.

At some point I will listen to them all again, in series, so I can feel this character's entire character arc. This is really great story-telling.

Annamaria -- She is a terrific obstacle character. She never worries about her own safety, but instead, remains calm in the midst of turmoil. She must be Odd's guide on the road of life.

When Odd set the time machine to go back... and then did what was unexpected, what none of us would have done if we were in that situation. Odd Thomas is a character for the ages.

Yes, but I broke it up over several hours on a long car trip.

Koontz just gets better with every book he writes.

Top 10%

Yes. Although I guessed some of the twists, there were many I did not see coming.

It's difficult to hear the character's distinctive voices without an audiobook. That's what is so great about audiobooks.

Yes. I listened to it while I drove.

Great book. Great characters.

Chicago is a dirty, gritty city. There are cops on the take, and the government is corrupt. This is the background for Checover's novel, apparently the second in a series involving detective Ray Dudgeon. Chercover's first book, Big City, Bad Blood, is on my list to read next.
Ray smokes too much, drinks too much, and has awful luck with women. He has a general distaste for authority figures, but gets along well with his cop pals. He's asked to learn the "truth" of a woman's death for a grieving father, and winds up finding a lot more than he bargained for.
If you like hard boiled detective fiction, you will like Chercover's work. I liked it so much, I decided to go read the first novel in the series.

Ray Dudgeon

his voice characterizations were very good.

Sometimes the truth doesn't set you free....

Great book, really enjoyed it.

It continued the Gray Man's story, and did so in a very believable way. I read this before I read Gray Man, and still had enough context to understand the story. That's the mark of a good and careful author. The book is full of action and exotic places. The hardware is realistically described. The emotions of the main characters seem real and not stilted. This is not a Mission Impossible type book where everything goes perfectly for the main characters. It has gritty detail that makes it believable. I would recommend this book highly.

the Gray Man; he is believable and complex and I can see a lot of me in him (not that I'm an assasin mind you, I'm a lawyer, but I understand the way he thinks).

No, this was my first, but having heard later performances, I really liked him.

No.

Great book, great voice characterizations. You will be quite satisfied.

Yes. This series of books is one of those rare few that make you feel like you're walking alongside the main character as he battles evil and injustice. The main character is interesting and complex, and not always wholly logical. He is a master assasin, but he does dumb things too. And while some heroes, like Bond, are often characterized as bullet proof, this guy gets shot, gets hurt, and has problems. It is a very believable book.

The way the action flowed from scene to scene. The book is very well written, and well crafted stories are wonderful to listen to.

The Gray Man himself.

No, just made me glad that I've never pissed off the Gray Man.

Read this book and everything this author has written; you will not be disappointed.

No. I learned way too much about the main character's personal life. It was devoid of action and whiney. The basic story was a good one, and well thought out, but the characterizations were not as rich as I would have liked.

I would recommend Mark Greaney or David Baldacci. This was a woman who hated George Bush and wanted to write a novel to ping him. I am no fan of Bush, but I don't buy books based on politics.

Narrators were terrific

Only if Fran Drescher played the lead character.

There are better books about the CIA, but this one is still okay and worth your time.