Breakdown on Blowhard Mountain

By: Carolyn Jourdan, Ludger Dominic Bracht

Narrated by: Henry Schrader

Length: 8 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

Seven European tourists set off on the trip of a lifetime - a grand circle tour of the American West. They are unaware that a desperate journalist has hidden evidence in their van that could bring down a high-level criminal conspiracy. Nor do they know that they are being pursued by ruthless thugs determined to retrieve the proof at any cost, as the innocent visitors travel from one scenic stop to another.

The blistering heat, freezing cold, flash flooding, and a vast desert wilderness crammed with menacing wildlife are the least of their problems.

A comic mystery set amid the dangerous beauties of Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, Arches, Mesa Verde, Monument Valley, Grand Canyon, and Zion.

Listen to Breakdown on Blowhard Mountain from USA Today, Audible, and five-time Wall Street Journal best-selling author Carolyn Jourdan, whose previous mystery Out on a Limb was voted a Best Kindle Book of the Year. Ludger Dominic Bracht, the coauthor, is an experienced guide and owner of Personal Scout Tours.

©2019 Carolyn Jourdan and Ludger Dominic Bracht (P)2020 Carolyn Jourdan and Ludger Dominic Bracht

Delightful

An easy and entertaining escape. Part travelogue, part comedy, part mystery. Light humor reminiscent of O’Henry’s Ransom of Red Chief.

Disappointed

I did struggle to finish this book. Although the overall story was pretty good, the narration was lackluster.

Light comedic tour

A light comedy that featured memorable characters and highlighted the iconic natural beauty of the American Southwest. Recommended for travelers traveling the area.

Fun story

The story was fun but there's a lot of unfinished plot lines and revelations that never get addressed unsatisfying ending

Great fun and beautiful scenery!

Great to have a funny Mafia/ Stasi story with decent characters and bumbling bad guys!
Well written and keeps you guessing to the very end; loved the genuine international characters and the wildlife which outsmarts the tourists.
Bravo!

Smart, entertaining trip out West

I'd like to travel out West to National Parks. Interesting preview with a fun story for a vicarious trip and to find travel ideas. The specific travel details are a plus and the characters are fresh and human.

Hard time with the narrator

I struggled with this book, mainly because I found the narrator rather dull. He did some characters in different voices but then others all sounded the same. I think the actual story itself is a lot of fun and anyone who enjoys funny road travel books would enjoy this one but I'm not a fan of the narrator.

I left this review in exchange for a free copy of the book from Audiobook Boom!

What a romp!

A well-told tale that's a cross between Anna Pigeon on a canyon Nation Park circuit and City Slickers. Since I've done the canyon circuit and have been on small group tours. a lot of this book was both familiar and enlightening as seen from the tour guide's and driver's perspectives. A lot of near misses, vehicular mishaps, preposterous "bad guys", freaky weather and some travelers with secrets, combine to keep the action moving even if it's implausible. I was a little perplexed by the narrator's accents for some of the characters, but decided to let it roll off me. All in all it was entertaining and a good distraction from current news events.

A Wacky Western United States Tour

This is a wacky tour of the Western United States by some European tourists. The characters are drawn like cartoon characters and their escapades are as well. If you've never visited the Western U.S. you'll get a sense of the places and can follow along with a map and pictures.

The book is an enjoyable listen, for the most part. I liked the characters and found the story amusing.
The narration needed some help with pronunciations and could have been proofed a bit better. The voices are a lot of fun.

I received this audiobook at no-cost. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

Excellent performance

Although I had a little difficulty staying captivated by the story, the narrator really brings the characters to life, with each having a unique accent and personality!