Hidden River

By: Adrian McKinty

Narrated by: Gerard Doyle

Length: 12 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

Alexander Lawson is a former detective for Northern Ireland's police force. After a disastrous six-month stint in the drug squad, he became addicted to heroin and resigned in disgrace. Now 24, sickly, and on the dole, Alex learns that his high-school love, Victoria Patawasti, has been murdered in America. Victoria's wealthy family sends Alex to Colorado to investigate the case, and he seizes the opportunity for a chance at redemption.

But things don't go as planned. Plagued by a heroin habit, forced to go on the run after the only credible witness to Victoria's murder is accidentally killed, wanted by both the Colorado cops and the Ulster police, Alex struggles just to stay alive.

Gritty, with spot-on dialogue and black humor, Hidden River is a dynamic thriller.

©2004 Adrian McKinty (P)2005 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

• 2005 Audie Award Nominee, Mystery

"This is not only an expertly crafted suspense novel but also a revealing study of addiction." (Publishers Weekly)
"A storyteller with the kind of style and panache that blur the line between genre and mainstream."(Kirkus Reviews)

I love this narrator

I love this narrator. he has narrated other books by this author and I really liked all of them. The deep Irish lilt of the narrator makes the main character very easy to like. I also like that his main characters seem to all be flawed heros. They are not even very good people sometimes but you love them anyways

Released in 2005 before Adrian McKinty...

...became the world's best author of the police procedural (cop) genre with his Sean Duffy series in 2012. Hidden River, set mostly in Colorado where McKinty lived at the time, is an excellent novel, but listeners accustomed to his remarkable Sean Duffy series only are likely to be disappointed. Gerard Doyle narrates perfectly as always.

I do recommend that the perspective listener read the publisher's summary which in this case sets up the story superbly.

terrific!

this is a rich novel with flawed, human and compelling characters. If you appreciate well-crafted 'complex' novels, you'll like this. The narrator was splendid too.

Washed up at 24

I have read several Adrian McKinty novels and while not bad, this is by far my least favorite. The main character is simply sad being addicted to heroine and while he possesses some of Sean Duffy’s style, he is far less likable. Narration is very good.

Narrator excellent but...

None of the characters were people I would care to meet or know. The narrator was excellent though, and it was his voice only that kept me listening.

Good but not McKinty's best.

I have read and enjoyed most of Adrian McKinty's books about Ireland and the Irish. This was no exception but I was spoiled on his books about Duffy, the troubled but dedicated Irish cop. This is not one of the Duffy series but to some degree follows the same path. A troubled (ex) cop, murder, sex and the not so good guy wins. Problem that I had with this book is that it felt too formulated. Some parts unnecessary. Some parts added for reasons not necessary and those parts boarded on boredom. Start with the Detective Series. You wont be disappointed.

Hidden River

This was a good listen after the style of other McGinty books I have listened to. The narrator is very good once again and paces the story well, is clear and understandable even with the Irish lilt. The different characters are clearly identified by the narrators voice and accent changes.

The main character does not get as sympathetic a review as Michael does in Dead I well May Be and The Dead Yard both of which were better books in my view. This audio book was nonetheless enjoyable.

Another enjoyable listen!

This story only got three stars because the normally very faulty leading man was blatantly silly about the women he interacted with; slow in his deductive reasoning and a very poor planner . How can you make a revenge plan when going through Heroin withdrawal and if you do, why would you think its a good one when you are through going through withdrawal? With that said, I once again was wrapped up in my character's personalities, their slow walk toward redemption and their very real need to be honorable. While not set in Ireland, the Denver/Boulder area fairly leaps of the page and you had to chuckle about the Irish discontent with 100 degree temperatures.

One minor-ish problem

The narrator was excellent, except for the American accents. They all sounded like 1950s news reporters which was weird and funny combined with the types of characters.
Otherwise, really good.

fresh and riviting

my days were scheduled around listening time
Irish is my second language now😄took a chapter to be in tune