Hidden Identity

By: Adam Carpenter

Narrated by: Joel Leslie

Length: 5 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

When Jimmy McSwain is hired to find missing heir Harris Rothschild, he finds that identities can be altered and lives can be changed - or taken with the simple pull of the trigger. Jimmy McSwain is a New York City private detective, operating out of Hell's Kitchen, the rough and tumble neighborhood he grew up in. At age 14, he watched as his NYPD father was gunned down. Now, at age 28, and gay, Jimmy has never given up pursuit of whoever killed him. But a PI must make a living, and so he's taken on the case of missing heir Harris Rothschild, whose overbearing father doesn't approve of his "alternate" lifestyle.

Tracking down Harris is easier than expected, but the carnage that follows isn't. With a shocking murder on his hands, and a threat coming from some unforeseen person, Jimmy's caseload is suddenly full, and very dangerous.

©2014 Joseph Pittman (P)2016 Joseph Pittman

Better than expected

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher. I was pleasantly surprised by this book. The story line maintained my interest throughout the entire story. I felt like there was just the right amount of detail and information given. The sex in the story was described in an appropriate, not vulgar way. The narrator did an awesome job. His accents were great and he was very pleasant to listen to. I'm glad I read it.

ok read

If you could sum up Hidden Identity in three words, what would they be?

ok story line

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

New York descriptions - main character's living arrangements

Which character – as performed by Joel Leslie – was your favorite?

Jimmy

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

no

Any additional comments?

purchased this because of Joel Leslie - as usual he made the story come alive despite it's less than exciting plot

well written book

this is a very well-crafted book and a fine narrator. I'm quite a fan of Joel Leslie and his narration.
Whitney that said, he should NOT have been the one narrating this particular book. it just does not match up.
I do not know who thought this was a good combination, but it could have been better.

A great start to the series

At 14 years old, Jimmy witnessed his father's murder. Vowing to find out who did it, is what made his decision later to become a PI instead of following in his father's footsteps an becoming police officer.

When Jimmy lands a missing person case of the son of a wealthy attorney, He finds himself looking for Harris Rothschild. Harris was easy to locate somewhat too easy. A series of events that follow this discovery. There are twist and turns from murder to physical threats that start happening that keep you guessing.

Only at end did the multiple cases Jimmy found himself entangled in have some closure.

Hidden Identity by Adam Carpenter was different from the Romance books I usually read. This didn't have really a romance storyline to it. There was some hot sex but it was more of the mystery. It was the suspense of what was going on and what would happen next that kept you enthralled.

Joel Leslie did a great job narrating. The different voices he was able to do made it easy for me to distinguish between characters. The main voice of Jimmy seem fitting for how I imagined.

The author did a good job with the writing. It flowed well and kept you guessing at the same time. The vivid details of the scenes and characters helped me connect with them. The ending isn't a HEA OR HFN type as its not really a romance book. That said, it doesn't end in major cliff hanger but leaves you wanting more of Jimmy's story.

A complimentary copy was given in exchange for an honest review.

Begging For More Jimmy

Would you consider the audio edition of Hidden Identity to be better than the print version?

I always enjoy the audio version best. Brings the stories to life.

What other book might you compare Hidden Identity to and why?

Rhys Ford's Dirty Kiss... Both gay Private Eyes with secret pasts.

Which character – as performed by Joel Leslie – was your favorite?

Jimmy of course.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Jimmy was sexy and so sad at the same time. I cried for him at the beginning of the book. Terrible place for a 14 year old.

Any additional comments?

This was a great listen. I would recommend it to anyone who likes gay mysteries and hot, sexy love stories. Hope there is a second installment to answer some questions left hanging. Will listen to it again to see if I missed a 'clue'.

An interesting start to the series

If you could sum up Hidden Identity in three words, what would they be?

Complex, Accepting, Gritty

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

I wasn't surprised I could see it was who it was from about halfway through.

Which character – as performed by Joel Leslie – was your favorite?

All of them were good but I really liked Jimmy's mum. I like accents and he did it well. Barry was also nice.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The beginning where you find out what happened to Jimmy's dad

Any additional comments?

**** I received this audiobook in return for a fair and honest review****

This was a new to me author and I really enjoyed the book. Jimmy McSwain is an old school P.I. who happens set in the modern world. He works his cases, spends time with his mom and sisters and tries to find that special man to share his life.

While all of this is going on he is still obsessing over the murder of his father over 15 years prior and for me, the constant mentions of this dragged the story down for me. It was constant and I understand he wanted answers but it seemed to be on his mind ALL the time above everything else.

That aside I did enjoy the rest of the story, his interactions with his family and clients are great. You can tell he cares about all of them and wants what's best. In this first story he meets Barry at a club, they hit it off, get together and things go a little sideways. We end the first story with them in limbo and with Jimmy eyeing the new police Captain.

Jimmy solves some cases in all of this, not much is given to these, not as much as I expected in a detective novel. It was much more focused on Jimmy's life and struggles dealing with his father's death.

I would be interested to see how the rest of the series shakes out. Who does he end up with.. Barry, the captain or someone else. Does he ever find out what really happened to his father.

A mystery to the end

Maybe it's just me but I did not figure this one out, which is great because I hate it when I figure out who did it early in the book.

The characters were well developed and the descriptions of New York were vivid and made it possible to picture the locations being described.

The narration was quite good, the female voices could have been better but they were okay.

There were a couple of places where a small section of the book was repeated immediately after it first played, but these were infrequent and short sections of no more than a dozen words.

Note: This book was supplied free of charge bu the author/narrator/publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

Audio debut for Carpenter!

If you could sum up Hidden Identity in three words, what would they be?

New York Story

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

It does, because of the pace and because of the theatre stuff as well as the mystery that permeates the story

What aspect of Joel Leslie’s performance would you have changed?

Have him speak a bit slower and have the wit and humor more prominent. When reading it, I laughed aloud a lot, but while listening, I felt some of the jokes were missed in the speed of his narration

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It's funny and interesting. It made me laugh and it was neat that it features Broadway ushers.

Any additional comments?

The breathy voice of John Leslie comes as a bit of shock, as I was not expecting it as a narrator for a Jimmy McSwain novel. That is not to say that he is not good at it. He is a little speedy at times, but does voices for the characters, which makes it easier to figure out whom is talking. Some of Carpenter's humourous lines get lost through the narrating banter, which is the only negative to Carpenter's first audio book. It is a good listen and makes one wonder if Leslie will be narrating the rest of the McSwain saga or if, perhaps, Carpenter himself will do it? Either way, it's still a fun few hours to listen to while doing other things like running, commuting, or just relaxing at home.

Excellent detective noir. Sexy, Dark, Delicious!!

If you could sum up Hidden Identity in three words, what would they be?

Gritty, Sensual, Complex

What was one of the most memorable moments of Hidden Identity?

The depth of Jimmy's relationship with his Mother speaks of his core character. The scene they share at the kitchen table in memorial to Saint Joe is a moving tribute.

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

At times during the first half of book, the Narrator's pace was a little too fast to let the listener be enveloped into the scene. That is my only criticism, the rest of his performance is a masterful example of sustained characters with multiple dialects, genders and ages. Amazing consistency - will be added to my narrators to listen too no matter the genre.

Any additional comments?

Already purchased the other two books in the series. Can't wait to see them turned into audiobooks, hopefully with Mr. Leslie at the mic.

I received a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Hidden Identity

Which scene was your favorite?

I liked the characters, especially Jimmy who was certainly not a perfect character, haunted by the unsolved murder of his father, the event defines Jimmy and the path he is traveling.The murder mystery itself kept me guessing right up until the end, and that is all I’m going to say on the subject.

Any additional comments?

I received a free copy in exchange for my review complement of Audiobook boom