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Brothers and Bones  By  cover art

Brothers and Bones

By: James Hankins
Narrated by: John Rubinstein
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Editorial reviews

With two words, a homeless man changes up-and-coming federal prosecutor Charlie Beckham’s life. He calls Charlie by a name that only Charlie and his older brother share, except Charlie's brother, an investigative journalist, disappeared thirteen years ago. Before Charlie can act, the homeless man disappears, and Charlie must begin a search that will lead him through the dark alleys of Boston's criminal underworld. Narrator John Rubinstein gives a vivid performance of this complex thriller, complementing the tense pacing of the story with his excellent comedic timing for its occasional moments of humor.

Publisher's summary

Charlie Beckham is a rising star among federal prosecutors until, on the morning of the most important court day of his career, a deranged homeless man turns Charlie's life upside with a single word. He calls Charlie by a secret nickname known by only one other person in the world - Charlie's brother Jake, who went missing thirteen years ago. Charlie has a hundred questions but the homeless man disappears before Charlie can ask a single one. So begins Charlie's search for answers, and for his brother, a search that leads him down Boston's darkest streets, into its blackest alleys, and, finally, into its criminal underworld. But if Charlie wants answers he'll have to get them from some of the most feared and ruthless people in the city.

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©2012 James Hankins (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"A complex, entertaining thriller, with a crackerjack cast...pitch-perfect dialogue...and action scenes poised exquisitely between menace and chaos." (Kirkus Reviews)

What listeners say about Brothers and Bones

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

This book is absolutely tedious..

Any additional comments?

I really wish I would have read all the reviews on this book before I wasted a credit on it. The writing of this book was absolutely awful. The over description of EVERYTHING that didn't matter was incredibly frustrating. It seemed like the author thought everyone had short term amnesia and forgot everything he said 5 minutes previously because he seemed to feel the need to repeat everything over and over and over & that didn't change throughout the whole book. It didn't help that the narrator's voice matched the boring tone of this book either. When I listen to a book and it's absolutely horrible because of the narration I wonder to myself "would this book have been better had I just read it myself?" There are some that I know without a doubt only seem so awful because the narrators are so bad but this book, would have been horrible regardless of the narrator. I would never recommend this book.

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66 people found this helpful

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

Farfetched even for fiction.

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

Anyone who doesn't mind having things explained to them. Every. Single. Thing.

Would you ever listen to anything by James Hankins again?

Maybe. It was a good basic story, just all the explanations (especially in regard to the main character's own thought process) almost made me give up and I certainly would have skipped those pages in a printed form. The fact that the main character was a serious wimp and not that bright made all the embellishments to the story seem even more unbelievable, even for fiction.

How could the performance have been better?

For the narrator, I liked his voice but some of the character voices were just annoying, like Uncle Carmen's speech impediment. Really could have used some better editing.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Brothers and Bones?

Almost all of the explanation in the last couple hours. Let the reader do some of the thinking. That's why we listen to this kind of book.

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57 people found this helpful

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

The ending is the best part

This story alternately entertained me and drove me crazy. The internal monologue was maddening at times--reiterating what the reader already knew. But the story itself was intriguing and fun with a wide variety of interesting characters. The end was worth the wait.

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40 people found this helpful

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

Unbelievable - literally.

Good book - held my interest; however, just not believable, which, I understand, is maybe the point of fiction. But I kinda like my reading to be a bit more swallowable (!)

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34 people found this helpful

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

Maybe it's a guy thing

I just couldn't get into this book. The writing wasn't bad but I didn't care what happened to the main character. He was wasn't likable to me, so I gave up half way through.

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29 people found this helpful

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

Predictable but still a good listen

Pretty good book. The ending is totally predictable but it kept me entertained. The narrator did a nice job getting into each character's role.

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17 people found this helpful

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

'Brotherhood'- Blood not required.

Charlie learned the true meaning of what the word “brother” means, not only from the selfless acts of love his blood brother showered him with, but more poignantly, when he had to put his faith and life in the hands of a complete stranger. The unlikely banding together of a federal prosecutor (Charlie) and a scary looking, unpredictable, dirty homeless man (Bones), led to the forging of an unflappable bond, proving sometimes being brothers can be much more than just sharing the same bloodline. These two unlikely confidants managed to form the ultimate “brotherhood" when the only person who had their backs was each other. #thick as thieves.

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • MM
  • 12-08-13

Held my interest from beginning to end

Excellent. I haven't looked yet to see if this author has other books, but if he does, I'm buying them! I've already recommended this to other friends who are readers/listeners. And John Rubinstein is incredible. He did an outstanding job with this book.

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16 people found this helpful

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

Excitement and Suspense

Charlie Beckham was an up and rising attorney who, on this very day, would be the lead prosecutor who would send a high ranking member of the mob away for life. However, there was a homeless man on the sidewalk who called him, Wiley, as he passed by him on his way to the subway. Charlie stopped and was unable to move.

Jake was Charlie's older brother by 11 years. Jake raised Charlie after their parents were killed in an accident. Jake was the only person who had ever called him, Wiley. Charlie had to find and stop this man.

Jake was a journalist who had fallen off the face of the earth 13 years ago. He had been working on an important story and had left that morning, never be seen or heard from again.

The street man was Bones but liked to be called Bons. Charlie was able to meet Bons when he left home to go to work and Bons was standing in front of Charlie's house.

Bons and Charlie were just starting on a long and dangerous search for Jake. The journey would lead them them them through the most wretched and evil places of the city. However, Charlie would never quit until he found Jake.

Brothers and Bones was an edge of the seat listen. There was always suspense, action and surprise throughout the book. It showed me parts of the world that I never knew existed. The characters were very well developed and the narrator was an excellent reader, bringing all of the characters alive. I don't know how long it took me to finish the book. I kept reading until the end. Waiting for the ending made me anxious because I knew the book might end and may not end the way that I thought it should. Therefore, the book held my interest until I listened to the very last page. I experienced feelings of rage and impotence
at some of the characters in this book. The book was intriguing to say the least. I think that if you do purchase this book you won't be disappointed. What was ironic was the fact that just prior to this book I had listened to the book, Timbuktu, whose main character was, Mr. Bones.

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13 people found this helpful

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

An abslutely horrible novel

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

Perhaps those do not read much

What was most disappointing about James Hankins’s story?

the author's voice was incredibly irritating.

Would you be willing to try another one of John Rubinstein’s performances?

maybe

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

disappointment

Any additional comments?

Anyone who recommended this book needs to be second guessed from this point on.

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12 people found this helpful