Fidelity

By: Thomas Perry

Narrated by: Michael Kramer

Length: 11 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

When Phil Kramer is shot dead on a deserted suburban street in the middle of the night, his wife, Emily, is left with an emptied bank account and a lot of questions. How could Phil leave her penniless? What was he going to do with the money? And, most of all, who was he if he wasn't the man she thought she married?

Jerry Hobart has some questions of his own. It's none of his business why he was hired to kill Phil Kramer. But now that he's been ordered to take out Kramer's widow, he figures there's a bigger secret at work---and maybe a bigger payoff.

As they race to find the secret Phil Kramer so masterfully hid, both Hobart and Emily must question where their true loyalties lie and how much they owe those who have been unfaithful to them. In Fidelity, Thomas Perry delivers another riveting thriller.

©2008 Thomas Perry (P)2008 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Perry intrigues as always with spare, intelligent prose." ( Publishers Weekly)
"A spunky but believable heroine, an emotionally conflicted killer, a plot whose twists you will not anticipate.... Fidelity is a winner." ( Library Journal

A miserable little story, sparingly told.

This seems to be Thomas Perry's attempt to write a kind of 'No Country for Old Men'.

He doesn't make it.

A bunch of not-particularly-sympathetic and not-particularly-rounded characters meander through a mystery tale that's competent, rather than compelling. Frankly the revelatory 'twist' exposition which is compulsory in these things was not only thoroughly telegraphed, it was stretched almost beyond breaking-point, and if I hadn't been driving I'd have fast-forwarded through most of it it!

(And, yet again, we are left to wonder 'what is it with the contemporary American admiration of sociopaths'?)

Anyway, you get what you pay for, and it's well read. Only, if you have a choice, go for Cormac McCarthy, eh?

Different, but good.

What made the experience of listening to Fidelity the most enjoyable?

Interesting characters, well-crafted story.

Have you listened to any of Michael Kramer’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I like Kramer; doesn't have much inflection in his voice, but it is well-suited for the lead character.

Careful When Pulling Taffy

You ever seen taffy stretched? Well it sags in the middle and even breaks if over-pulled.

Fidelity is rich, thick, and a sometimes gooey taffy. The characters are by Thomas Perry, so they're basically complex. Characters drive Perry stories. But here, the cast is pulled sometimes beyond its, um, stretchability.

Fidelity's a good book, and Perry's always a unique chef. This recipe's different from all of the other six Perrys I've listened to - so this author's not derivative. But it's more like "Strip" in his book of recipes… not a waste of time. Diverting. But I urge you to listen to either of "The Butcher Boys", or the classic "Metzger's Dog" first.

Oh… Michael Kramer ROCKS! He makes this book worth the time keeping this listen from becoming a stretch too far.

Worth a Listen

Strange title... better one might have been "The Perfect Assassin."

Emily just lost her husband (a private detective,) finds out that he has cleaned out their savings account, was having an affair with his secretary, and her life is now being threatened by a professional assassin who wants to find a secret her husband left behind. That's just the beginning of this story.

Woven into this intrigue is an in-depth look at the life of a professional assassin who has a conscience, (as much as an assassin can) and really just wants to win back the love of his high school sweetheart, leave the life of crime, and settle down. However, lest you think this might lack the necessary edginess of a good thriller, this man is a professional, and the descriptions of his business are fascinating (even if this fascination is slightly twisted.) It is a very believable look at a dark line of work.

Helping Emily through her woes are the three private detectives who worked at her husband's business, but Emily is one gutsy lady who makes for a strong female protagonist. One thing I really enjoyed about this story is that is was satisfying. There weren't those moments of "oh, please... no one would really do that!" I found it compelling, riveting, and was pleasantly surprised by my first read of this author.

I liked the narrator, but I could see how he could be loved or hated. He read the story with very little inflection in his voice, hardly any change in his narration of different characters... mostly just read the story. I would recommend giving a serious listen to the sample of the narrator before buying the book. On the one hand he has a mysterious, almost seductive sound to his reading. On the other, it could be interpreted as monotone, and listless. Strictly personal opinion, but I would listen to him again.

Overall a very pleasant surprise, and a good mystery/thriller combination. Just a solid, entertaining listen.

Fidelity

I wholeheartedly endorse this author as a first-class talent in the thriller genre. I've "read" his other audible.com downloads and find this latest one to be equally engrossing. Mr. Perry knows how to keep the narrative moving forward without losing any of the tension. Even in the words he chooses, Perry comes across as a storyteller of extraordinary abilities. This fact along with a credible narration makes it easy to be faithful to this Fidelity!

A GOOD STORY, WELL TOLD

The Butcher's Boy Series is a serious cut above all the other stand-alone novels by Perry. He is a trained, disciplined author with a deep imaginative pool from which he tries to draw his story lines. These stories, written by a less talented technician, would likely never be published. The female person-hider series did not grab me.
The Butcher's Boy tales are tight, compelling and scary. Let's have more of that, Mr. Perry!!

Unparalleled master of suspense!!!

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

Once I started listening, I could hardly stop. I could not, however, listen before bedtime. It is a tightly crafted novel of suspense, dramatically entertaining, but not bedtime reading.

Which character – as performed by Michael Kramer – was your favorite?

The primary character is Emily, and Michael Kramer performs her female voice masterfully. It never even crossed my mind that this was a man narrating. He does all the voices, other females as well as the males.

Any additional comments?

Thomas Perry simply has no equal in crafting a tale of suspense. This is the fourth novel of his that I have read and every single one has kept me glued to the voice of Michael Kramer, who performs Perry's work in a masterful understated manner. The other three have been The Butcher's Boy trilogy.

PI Phil is killed by a hitman~ his wife is next~

PLOT:PI Phil Kramer is found dead and his wife has his hitman on her trail.

Phil Kramer has a PI firm that is broke and he is found dead. His widow Emily finds Phil not only was cheating on her but plenty of other women made their life together one big lie. As the Hitman (Jerry Hobart) is now on the trail of Emily ~ the Hitman wonders why the man who *hired him* decided to take matters into his own hands. This is an excellent mystery. The plot flows along and does not drag. Narration is very entertaining. Plenty of twists and turns have you finally figuring on a plot that keeps you glue and the pieces fall in place like a jigsaw puzzle that is finally complete. I give it 5 STARS all the way.

mostly a good story but at times frustrating

What did you like about this audiobook?

I would definitely read more Thomas Perry books as indeed I have it just felt a little frustrating the plot was a bit slow after reading 2 of his Jane Whitefield books which were pretty good

How has the book increased your interest in the subject matter?

Not sure it has

What did you find wrong about the narrator's performance?

A little bland but otherwise good. At least not overplayed

Thomas Perry is, quite simply, brilliant.

The above is a quote from Robert B. Parker, a guy who should know. I am now in the process of reading all of Mr. Perry's novels, and I am sad to say that there are only a couple left. The man is remarkable, and again, Michael Kramer is the perfect voice for these amazing books. Mr. Perry is the opposite of formulaic. His creativity and inventiveness seem to know no bounds. This book starts with a killing, and takes almost the whole book to solve it. Through the book we get to know a number of people who are so much flesh and blood that we might actually know them in real life. The villains, however, are so scary that we are glad not to know them. Each time I listen to one of these, I just can't imagine how Mr. Perry is going to top this one, and yet, he does. At times here the suspense is literally unbearable. The plot quickens to the point where I had to put it down to make it last longer, if you understand. I was tempted to just sit and listen to the whole thing, but summoned up enough will power to let it be. Once again Mr. Perry writes with wit that is sometimes understated and sometimes just hilarious. He skewers a rich man who is also a monster, and also his sycophantic wife, and their lives of sheltered unreality. This man hires a killer to stalk the wife of the detective who dies at the beginning, and the contest between the two of them is a war of wills and wits. Emily is another extremely well drawn woman, something which Mr. Perry does easily while other male writers struggle with their inability to write nothing but cardboard women. At first I thought that The Butcher's Boy could not be topped. Now I know that Mr. Perry's talents are truly limitless. Enjoy yourselves. Mr. Perry cannot be beat.