All Fall Down

Hostage Negotiation Team, Book 1

By: Julie Coulter Bellon

Narrated by: Simon Pringle-Wallace

Length: 5 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

Ring around the rosy, a pocket full of posies, ashes, ashes we all fall down....

That simple rhyme turns negotiator Claire Michaels' current hostage situation into an international incident. Claire just wants to help get everyone out safely, but as the crisis escalates, she realizes she's dealing with an al-Qaeda operative who has the means to become another bin Laden - with the potential to attack America. Claire has her own personal reasons for wanting to stop al-Qaeda, but time is slipping away as negotiations break down. Can she overcome her scars of the past in order to get the hostage out alive and possibly stop an assault on US national security?

Navy SEAL Rafe Kelly is on leave to recover from a knee injury he suffered during his tour in Afghanistan, and he doesn't expect to be fighting terrorists on his home turf. But when he is taken hostage and his brother is kidnapped, Rafe teams up with a hostage negotiator in order to stay alive and get his brother back. The terrorist is always one step ahead of them, however, and the situation quickly turns from desperate to deadly. Will Rafe be able to save himself and his country without anyone he loves getting caught in the crossfire?

©2012 Julie Coulter Bellon (P)2015 Julie Coulter Bellon

Clean Military Romance

Story: 5 stars

I love Ms. Bellon's military romances. There are really great, capable female characters and tough-as-nails but sometimes too perfect guys (that's ok, this is fiction!). This story is excellent as many of the characters try to work through the emotional pain of war and of witnessing horrors, or being taken hostage. They come out on the other side having successfully coped and with greater empathy and some degree of healing. You really care about these characters.

Narration: 4.5 stars

Excellent voice with good cadence, rhythm and expression. I love the touch of making Rafe's voice have a slight NYC(?) accent; it was a nice touch. Mr. Pringle-Wallace's female voices were excellent, as well. I'd definitely listen to him narrate again.

*poor, **ok, ***good, ****very good, *****something special

Action!

“Ring around the rosy…” I don’t think I can get this rhyme out of my head soon enough. Very intense read with explosives and some intense chemistry in the picture.
I received a complimentary copy of the audiobook; I was not required to write a favorable review. All opinions in this review are my own.
 

Tension Twists Filled. Plot

I was hooked into Claire and Rafe, the smooth flow of words, yet one could feel the underlining tension. She is bruised, but wants this case, something wasn’t right about it, also, she had enough regrets, without adding to it. For Rafe, the injury, the nightmares, one of his that had been there with him in Afghanistan, now he couldn’t help save one of his own. Now they have taken Vince, and want what Gary was working on. Seventy two hours to get to Afghanistan. Would Claire be with him, or would Homeland be stopping them both, and putting ?Rafe in protective custody. Twist and turns that keep coming, well done.
Narration was great and added to the story

julie coulter bellon has a winner here!

Would you consider the audio edition of All Fall Down to be better than the print version?

I would definitely say this the audio version is as good if not better than the print version I don't normally like listening to a book after I have read it but I got more from listening to the book.

What was one of the most memorable moments of All Fall Down?

I really enjoyed hearing the climax of the story read out loud it makes it much more intense.

What does Simon Pringle-Wallace bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He is a master story teller and I really enjoyed the different voices that he does. Can't wait for him to read the other books!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I most definitely wanted to listen to this in one sitting! I listened to it on my lunch breaks, But thought about it until I could listen again!

Any additional comments?

I have loved everything Julie Coulter Bellon has written and was so excited to hear that the hostage negotiation books were going to be on audible! I can't wait until all of the other books are on audio so I can listen to them all. I got so much from listening to the book! This will not be a waste of your time. A great suspense book that is clean as well! Well done Julie

All Fall Down

Good, clean suspense book. I have listened to a few of Julie Coulter Bellon’s books, and have enjoyed them all. This one kept me guessing for a while. Highly recommend!

Love the Narrator!

Would you consider the audio edition of All Fall Down to be better than the print version?

Yes, absolutely! The narrator kept me engaged when I may have put the book down otherwise. His voice brought the writing to life.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I liked Claire a lot- she was smart, gentle, and also incredibly strong (and strong willed)!

What about Simon Pringle-Wallace’s performance did you like?

Simon Pringle-Wallace did a fantastic job at pacing- he knew when to speed up and slow down depending on what was happening. I also liked his interpretation of character voices and intonations. That helped me get to know the characters even more. I hope Simon does more of Julie Coulter Bellon's books, but I'm going to keep an eye out for more of his work either way!

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

There is a moment when you learn of a betrayal (but it's a spoiler, so I won't write it here). This was a disheartening and moving scene in the book.

Fast paced, exciting, with a bit of romance

This was my first book reading (listening in this case) anything by this author. Already looking forward to reading more from her. All Fall Down is a fast paced, exciting, got to keep reading kind of book. I seriously got frustrated every time I had to tap the pause button cause I just wanted to keep listening. I love the suspense and twists throughout the book and the characters have depth and heart. The narrator was great and added another layer of drama to the audiobook experience.

High tension and clean!

So hard to find suspense or romance that is actually clean while still being intense. All Fall Down is awesome for this reason. I love the characters. Rafe and Claire both take action and make the tough decisions - believable and interesting. The romance is sweet and he suspense keeps you glued to the book. Great book and great series! Can't wait for the next installment in audio!

The narrator was really impressive, too. I hate it when a good book is ruined by a lousy narrator but I felt like he really brought it to life. Well done!

I loved it

What sacrifices our military and safety forces take. The after math is so real to them and we dont even know. People shake it off like nothing happen. There is such evil and secrecy among us. People will do anything for money. Lots of twists and turns. Who to trust. Loved it!

Exciting romantic suspense

The hostage negotiation television show (the name eludes me) was a favorite. This story provided the same excitement and suspense. Bomb vests, hostages, romance, and family issues all add to the intensity and enjoyment. Thanks to the author for providing a copy.