• The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes

  • By: Marcus Sakey
  • Narrated by: Christopher Lane
  • Length: 11 hrs and 15 mins
  • 3.9 out of 5 stars (129 ratings)

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The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes  By  cover art

The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes

By: Marcus Sakey
Narrated by: Christopher Lane
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Editorial reviews

Marcus Sakey has only been publishing for a couple of years, but all four of his Chicago crime novels have been very favorably reviewed. The author has spent a lot of time researching by doing ride-alongs with cops, learning the finer points of picking a deadbolt, and generally inhabiting the seedier side of the city in which he lives. Despite having apparently found a winning formula and loyal following, Sakey resists pigeonholing because he continues to push his work beyond the limits of the genre he has mastered with ease. This latest book has nothing to do with Chicago, and one cannot even say with confidence that it is a crime novel.

Audie Award winner and veteran narrator Christopher Lane brings a charming and credible range of voices to this unusual mystery. An amnesiac man wakes up on a beach in Maine, having lived through either attempted murder or suicide. With the barest of context clues for help and the cops chasing after him, he tries to put the pieces back together. Possibly he has killed his own wife. Lane articulates every ounce of paranoid uncertainty that Daniel Hayes rightly feels toward the few people at home in Malibu that he may be able to trust. As the plot unfolds into two parts soft-boiled Californian scam story and one part jaded Hollywood fantasy life, Lane unleashes such a diverse group of character voices that it's hard to believe they come from the mouth of one person.

As bad as Daniel Hayes may have been before he lost his memory, there are of course bigger sharks in town. Christopher Lane is particularly convincing as Bennett, the smooth talking and fast moving creep who holds most of Daniel's missing pieces close to his chest. Sakey is bravely reworking some of the territory covered by Christopher Nolan's excellent film Memento, but adding a healthy dose of west coast vibe to chill things out and propel this listen toward more entertaining and less cerebral ground. Megan Volpert

Publisher's summary

The only sign of life for miles is an empty BMW. Inside the expensive car he finds clothes that fit perfectly, shoes for his tattered feet, a Rolex, and an auto registration in the name of Daniel Hayes, resident of Malibu, California.

None of it is familiar. How did he get here? Who is he? Who was he? While he searches for answers, the world searches for him - beginning with the cops that kick in the door of his dingy motel with guns drawn. Lost and alone, the man who might be Daniel Hayes flees into the night. All he remembers is a woman’s face, so he sets off for the only place he might find her. The fantasy of her becomes his home, his world, his hope. And maybe, just maybe, the way back to himself.But that raises the most chilling question of all: What will he find when he gets there?

©2011 Marcus Sakey (P)2011 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Sakey writes like a dream, creates characters exactly like people you know, and above all he keeps you turning the pages.” (Lee Child)

What listeners say about The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Lu
  • 06-20-11

A Never Ending Soap Opera

Well written; well thought out plot, but after more than three hours of tedious dialogue, I could no longer take the soap opera pace. I truly enjoy listening to a wide variety of books; as in all things, enjoy some more than others. For the first time EVER in all the 253 Audible books I’ve listened to, I skipped to the last three hours. I cut out five hours and didn’t feel like I missed or shortcut any of the intrigue. Unless you are looking for a rambling shaggy dog story, your time and money would be better spent listening to the abridge version.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Plot has potential

This book might have been more compelling if it had been edited down by half. If you believe the odd amnesia that Daniel Hayes is supposed to have and if the plot had not dragged on and on, it could be good. I hung in there but it felt tedious.

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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

Women should thank Marcus Sakey

I've just realized Marcus Sakey is one of the very few authors who know how to write women characters that you can imagine being with. I love how he doesn't write them drama filled, stepping into stupid, redundant "whoa is me" dialogue. For a good while all you get from other authors, and even women authors is same ole damsel in distress by manipulation and sick sense of "this shit it normal."

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

The two deaths of Daniel Hayes

This was a very entertaining story! I really enjoyed it and recommend it highly. The narrator did a good job too.

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

No Dead Spots In This One

Keeps you engaged from the very first line, try to figure out the next move, good luck with that.
Just listen and enjoy the ride.

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