City of the Sun

A Novel

By: David Levien

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

Jamie Gabriel gets on his bike before dawn to deliver newspapers in his suburban Indianapolis neighborhood. He is 12 years old. Somewhere en route, he vanishes without a trace.

Fourteen months later, Paul and Carol Gabriel are on the verge of abandoning all hope. Crushed by frustrating dead ends and exhausted by a police force that cannot (or will not) find their son, the Gabriels finally stumble upon a name - an elusive private investigator who may represent their last chance for answers.

Frank Behr is an enigmatic mountain of a man, a former cop who is reluctant to help - he knows better than to promise the Gabriels a good result. But Paul’s plea for closure stirs up old personal demons that Behr can no longer ignore. Going against everything he fears, Behr enters into an uneasy partnership with Paul on a quest for the truth that is, in turn, dangerous...and haunting.

Richly textured and crackling with suspense, City of the Sun weaves a moody narrative that hinges on the bond between a damaged detective and a lost father. David Levien masterfully peels back the layers of his gripping story, taking listeners on an investigation like no other.

©2008 David Levien (P)2008 Books on Tape

Critic reviews

"City of the Sun is one of the best books I've read in years. Compelling doesn't begin to describe it. All consuming is more like it. A gripping, lightning-paced trip to the dark side of town that will leave you shaken, and the better for it. A great read!" (Christopher Reich, New York Times best-selling author)

“City of the Sun is hard, mean, beautiful, touching - a dazzling novel. With this book, David Levien has placed himself among the best writers in the field. Elvis Cole and Joe Pike would be proud to call ex-cop Frank Behr their friend.” (Robert Crais, New York Times best-selling author of The Watchman)

“Here’s what to expect when reading City of the Sun: relentless suspense that will not let you out of its grasp, and a cast of characters who are so utterly real you’ll forget you’re reading fiction. David Levien’s novel is moody, riveting, and special.” (Harlan Coben, New York Times best-selling author of The Woods)

Workmanlike thriller. Scott Brick is annoying.

David Levien has written a thriller with an interesting plot, interesting characters, a good sense of acceleration, etc. However, Scott Brick is so annoying that he almost ruins the book. I don't understand his popularity. He only has one gear, and that is 100 mph. It is odd that he has narrated one of my all-time favorite audiobooks: The Ice Limit. His sense of pace fit that great book in a way that made his one-dimensional approach work.. However, for the 450 other books he has narrated, his limits are clear. Compared to Edoardo Balerini, for instance, he is outclassed in so many ways that Balerini should have narrated 450 books, not the other way around. In this book a 12-year-old boy is kidnapped by some sleazeballs, and he disappears for fourteen months before his grief-stricken parents give up on the police and hire a private investigator, the one-named Baer. In the classic form of the rogue ex-cop who could not fit in politically (this plot is becoming too common in thrillers these days) Baer can do things that the actual cops cannot. I won't spoil the denouement (Fancy French word, huh? It means the end and resolution of questions) for you, but rest assured it takes Levien a long time to get there, and by that time I got so annoyed by Mr. Brick that it was hard for me to continue. The parents of the kidnapped boy are appropriately grief-stricken and their marriage has gone stone cold. They just want to know what happened to their boy. In an interesting twist, Baer breaks his own rules and lets the father, Paul, help him work on the case. We get a good look at the unhealthy life of a strip club, but this is nothing new. I can't really recommend this book, as there are so many others in the genre that are better. Almost all forty of the Robert B. Parker Spenser series are better than this book, and each of them is only about five hours long. Elmore Leonard could write circles around Mr. Levien. Go for the Big Boys. Why spend your time with amateurs?

B- Detective Fiction

If you have not read Connelly, Verdon, etc., then go read them and come back when you have nothing to download and want a mystery on your drive to NY. I was glad I discovered David Levien BUT the story does not live up to your expectations at the beginning of the book. Quite frankly, it is way too easy for this P.I. to come across clues -- or even to figure out where to look. ("Mhm, let me find the bike that has been lost for a year and a half and that the police never thought to look for"...and a page later, his intuition pays off.) That said, I have downloaded the second novel in the series...I do have to drive back to Boston. (Scott Brick, who tends to annoy me as a reader, is actually quite good in this.)

Another GREAT David Levien Novel!

I love this Frank Behr series. This was a really good book. I could not stop listening. I can't wait to read the next two novels.

Great story, end leave you hanging.

Would you listen to City of the Sun again? Why?

Maybe in the future. The characters are engaging and grow throughout the narrative.

What other book might you compare City of the Sun to and why?

Pretty much your stereotypical hard boiled detective thriller.

Which scene was your favorite?

At the compound - exciting and emotional.

Any additional comments?

Well written, although it did use some well worn tropes that aren't necessarily accurate in real life. Cops unwilling to search for a missing kid until 24 hours has elapsed for example.

Almost Great

With inferior material, Scott Brick's highly dramatic narration can become a distraction; with really good material, he can make the story soar. The latter is the case here. Levien's story is a good one and the plot development, the writing and the characters are superb thriller material.
Three quarters of the way through I thought this was a five star book. Once the story turned to Mexico and the denouement, it went a bit flat. It often happens in the thriller genre that endings get a bit too fantastic or otherwise lose their center.
It would have been quite an achievement for Levien to satisfy the set-up here, especially with the emotionally explosive material, the kidnapping of a 12 year old by some bad people. Still a good tale and riveting listen, but the story is clicking on all cylinders while in Indianapolis, and veers off track once it moves south.
The PI Frank Behr is a superb character; I hope he returns.

What Happened to Jamie?.....4 STARS~

PLOT: a missing paper boy has the parents bring in private eye Frank Behr.

Paul and Carol Gabriel have never given up hope their "missing" son Jamie would be found. As their marriage totters on the brink Paul brings in private detective /ex cop Frank Behr. Behr has tragedy of his own including a failed marriage and son that was accidentally killed. Behr searches clues and reports that are several years old.The trail leads to a south of the border child trafficking ring. This is a very good story. The details about the low life scum who deal in this trade are part of what makes you stay glued to the over all story. Frank Behr has a personal life down in the toilet most of the time and so his personal demons often surface as his own choices. The middle of the story drags a bit but the end is well worth the "keep going" to see how it is resolved. I give it 4 STARS over all and 5 STARS for Scott Brick who gives life to Frank Behr.

Too dramatic

I used to really like Scott Brick but he over dramatizes everything. There isn't any build up to exciting parts. Someone cooking eggs is as dramatic as a gun fight. Otherwise, it's a great book. I think it will be a great series.

a beautiful story of love, courage and redemption

I loved this novel - no negative s, it was well told, captivating and although perhaps improbable, I wouldn't have had it end in any other way than it did. going back to find more by this author (ideally more read by Scott Brick). look forward to a great story and listen to this book!

enthralling but tough

We'll written and exciting, but theme tough for me as a parent. even so, I recommend it highly.

I COULD NOT PUT THIS DOWN

Wow!!!!WOW!!!! Can this guy write!!! every sentence seemed to be loaded with action and suspense. I couldnt put it down. One of the best I have heard in a long time