• Hell & High Water

  • THIRDS, Book 1
  • By: Charlie Cochet
  • Narrated by: Mark Westfield
  • Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (1,477 ratings)

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Hell & High Water  By  cover art

Hell & High Water

By: Charlie Cochet
Narrated by: Mark Westfield
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Publisher's summary

When homicide detective Dexter J. Daley’s testimony helps send his partner away for murder, the consequences—and the media frenzy—aren’t far behind. He soon finds himself sans boyfriend, sans friends, and, after an unpleasant encounter in a parking garage after the trial, he’s lucky he doesn’t find himself sans teeth. Dex fears he’ll get transferred from the Human Police Force’s Sixth Precinct, or worse, get dismissed. Instead, his adoptive father—a sergeant at the Therian-Human Intelligence Recon Defense Squadron otherwise known as the THIRDS—pulls a few strings, and Dex gets recruited as a Defense Agent.

Dex is determined to get his life back on track and eager to get started in his new job. But his first meeting with Team Leader Sloane Brodie, who also happens to be his new jaguar Therian partner, turns disastrous. When the team is called to investigate the murders of three HumaniTherian activists, it soon becomes clear to Dex that getting his partner and the rest of the tightknit team to accept him will be a lot harder than catching the killer - and every bit as dangerous.

©2014 Charlie Cochet (P)2023 Charlie Cochet
  • Series: THIRDS, Book 1
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: LGBTQ+

What listeners say about Hell & High Water

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • 4 Stars
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  • 3 Stars
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  • 2 Stars
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  • 3 Stars
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Good humor to Military/shifter book

The blurb is a pretty good summary so no need to reinvent the wheel. What I enjoyed most about this audiobook was the humor. The narrator did a great job giving Dex this happy sound. Dex made me smile and chuckle and so I guess the narrator accomplished his job with the delivery of the wisecracks.

Detective Dex Daley was a riot. He was full of jokes and he was actually a happy person. It became evident that humor was his way of dealing with uncomfortable situations and also relating to others.
He came across as a very caring and thoughtful person even though he was shooting off at the mouth often. I like the world with humans and Therians (humans with a genetic mutation that allowed them to shift into allowed them to shape-shift into big cats). I thought he was a good fit at the Therian-Human Intelligence Recon Defense Squadron despite having family members there.

Sloane Brodie, Dex's team leader, took a little bit to warm up to since he was very moody. But once Dex turned on his charm, everyone began getting chinks in their Third's Armour and soon, Dex wiggled into their tight knit group.

I like the story had insta-attraction but not insta-love for Dex and Sloan. We knew something was there, but they were working towards it. I also like that the bad guy's motives mirror everyday rationale. It's stupid but it's very real. I look forward to what lies ahead for the Third as the gauntlet was thrown down at the end of this series opener. This was a good book 1.

I will hold out for book 2 on audio

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25 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Nothing like it...

New to the shifter genre, I was a bit reluctant to delve into this newly created world by Charlie Cochet. The first five minutes left me wondering if I had made a mistake but then the rest of the story and I could not wait to see where our protagonists, Dex and Sloane were going to next. Cochet's writing style kept you guessing and traveling fast in this interesting twist to the shifter genre. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and when it ended, I immediately went searching for the next part of the story...a good indicator that it's a good story. Mark Westfield did an exceptional job bringing the characters to life with his unique approach to the voices with his narration. I loved the dynamic between Dex and the cast of characters involved with this story. As I listened to the story, I pictured Dex as a subtle representation of Steve Martin's wild and crazy guy, with a serious side when it was called for. I laughed, cried, and became lost into this wonderful story offered by Cochet. I look forward to reading the next part of the series and I certainly would recommend this story!!!

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18 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

✫✫ 3 Stars ✫✫

This was a very slow book for me. It took me almost 7 hours before I even cared what was happening. I’m not a big fan of slow burn and this was exactly that. I also felt like the world building was very underwhelming, I was expecting a lot of shifter type stuff and instead got a police type thriller with very little flame. Once the main characters finally get together the book picked up and I enjoyed it from there on but sadly I think it was already too late for me.

The narration was good, I think this was my first time listening to Mark Westfield and I would absolutely listen to him again.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Incredibly sexy narration brings the heat!

I listened to the audio after already reading the book a couple of years ago. All I can say is get the audio. The narrator has the sexiest voice, does the other character voices, and uses sound effects that make this a completely outstanding narration!

I was quite worried about how the sex would come across in audio. I've had some pretty bad audiobook examples of flat and stale sex...however here I seriously had no concerns after the very first scene with the C word (the boy one). Holey Moley! All I can say is I am so glad headphones were invented because all those people I ran by while listening would probably have been shocked at what was being pumped into my ears. If I was a guy that's not the only thing that would be swelling. I'm just sayin'.

Love the story and the world of Therian and Human. Great series that choice a wonderful narrator who can talk to me anytime! Highly recommended!

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Series

This is one of my absolute favorite alpha/alpha law enforcement series. Dex is just an amazing character. He is funny, sweet and can certainly kick ass. He is also remarkably sensitive to his family and team mates. Sloane, his love interest and new partner at The Thirds, is a somewhat tortured soul as he lost his former partner/love and is having a hard time recovering when Dex bursts into his life. The banter in this book is my favorite part as Dex has many really witty lines and his verbal war with Ash is priceless. This series has a great cast of characters and at least four couples, both human/Therian and Therian/Therian in future books. The narrator does a great job on all the voices, except Hudson’s English accent; but it doesn’t really matter because it is just a few lines in the book. Definitely worth a credit.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Wow! What a great adventure this was!

Wow! I totally loved this book! I can't hardly wait to listen to the rest of the THIRDS... Please Audible....hurry up and get this entire series on here!

I have to admit...starting out... I thought this was going to be a long drawn out boring book, half-way at an attempt to mix m/m romance with paranormal suspense...but NOPE! What I got was a complete emotional roller coaster! I totally fell in love with every single character... to included the relationships among Destructive Delta (the THIRDS team).

I wish there was a bit more smexy time...but the smexy time added to the story...the story didn't revolve around it... which is always a plus....

The side relationship with Dex's brother and Sloane's BFF...well now... that is going to be one interesting book! Oh let's not forget the two silent team members... Trust me...once you listen you will definitely know what I am talking about.

All in all this book was great. Dex was a cop, who got transferred to the THIRDS because he testified against his crooked partner. Fortunately for him, his brother and "dad" are members of this new shifter team of cops. Dex is cooky and off the wall with his antics but he is a great cop... and Sloane well...he comes off as this tough shifter team leader, but he was simply a man trying to cope with the loss of his lover. I loved the build up and angsty moments between Dex and Sloane...

Hopefully book 2 will flesh out their relationship a bit more...

So worth a credit or sale... Narration was good..not great...but good!

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Good book!

What did you love best about Hell & High Water?

I loved how it lead you into the lives of the characters!

What did you like best about this story?

I liked how even the supporting characters were built up!

What does Mark Westfield bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He does a great job with the voices giving a slightly different tone to each.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Amateur narrator

Would you be willing to try another one of Mark Westfield’s performances?

Awful. Amateur. I DNF'd the book

Any additional comments?

I stopped before the first chapter was done. Main character gets beat up and doesn't even attempt to defend himself. Add that to a really amateur narrator, and I put the audiobook down.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A L'il SciFi. A L'il Romance. A Whole Lot Sexy.

A little bit romance, a little bit comic book/ superheroes, and a pinch of the Agents of Shields bundled into an exciting and suspenseful story. Despite moments when there seemed to be too much detail on the training/ fighting thing which really isn't for me, the plot was tightly written. The characters were quite unique, particularly Dex. The science fiction feel of a world with an alternate breed of beings added to the complexity and created a world unlike any other I had previously read.

Listening to the book on audio was a nice alternative but sometimes proved difficult in pulling in all the details. I slowed it down and was careful to listen carefully. This is not a story you can miss anything! Everything that happens has a point and the narrator brings in the emotion -tension and passion- of the story.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

One of the best series out there! Amazing!

YAY! Whooo Hoooo!

That is my response that when I found out that not only is there a sequel to this book, but at least six – count ‘em SIX- in the series!

This is one fantastic book, and it’s shaping up to be an amazing series. We have all the integral parts needed: shifters, a madman, true love, new love, family, orphans, gruff military men and hot alpha males. Phew!

The MCs:
Dex: sweet, happy, hot, stubborn, quick witted, cheesy, loyal and short-tempered.

Sloane: moody, brave, tough, scarred, hot, broken-hearted, loyal, fierce, tender.

If you made a list great series whose relationships built over the span of several books, these guys will be added to that list: Rhys Ford’s Cole McGinnis series, Cut and Run by Abi Roux, SE Jakes Hell or High Water series, NR Walker Turning Point series… you get the idea. Tough guys, slowly gaining one another’s trust, falling in love, and in the meantime kicking some serious ass!

Dex’s character gives us many funny lines and laugh out loud moments, but his interactions with his brother, father and Sloane make us go “awwww”. Sloane, at first, makes you want to pull your hair out, but by the end, you want to cuddle him up in a big hug and kiss away all his boo-boos.

The bad guy – not giving away who it is – but I bet you’ll figure it out soon enough – is a great bad guy. When I say “great” I mean, diabolical, crazy, smart, driven… the perfect counterpart to the good guys here.

I read this in pretty much one sitting – it moves along quickly and grips you right away.

I loved the themes of prejudice and scientific knowledge, segregation and safety, as well as the toys and powers we are shown in this first book.

The next book is coming out soon (August 4) and you can bet I’ll be reading it! I look forward to all the books, and highly recommend this book 6 out of 5 stars!


Audio

Mark Westfield is a new narrator for me but – WOW- does he do a great job here! He does a nice job with Sloane, giving him a solid, grumbly bass, and Dex a fun, flighty (but not at all feminine or twinky) lighter voice. He separates out the different voices, making it easy to identify the different characters. When there is emotion he lets it seep through and when there calls for it, he can make his voice sound like it’s coming at a distance or over a loud speaker, etc.

He really brings the story to life and I really, really enjoyed listening to this narration.

I give it a 6 of 5 stars

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