Imposter

The Protectors, Book 1

By: Karen Fenech

Narrated by: Andrea Bates

Length: 5 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

The protectors: Though they work independently and at times are oceans apart, their ties to one another remain strong. They’re related by blood or bond - this group of men and women in law enforcement, government intelligence, and the military who do what others cannot to serve, defend, and protect.

Imposter: Chemist Dr. Eve Collins, wrongly accused by the CIA of developing and marketing a chemical weapon, learns she has been set up as a scapegoat by someone seeking to hide his own guilt. That "someone" wants her dead. Her life depends on making no mistakes - like trusting the central intelligence agent assigned to her case, a man she’s falling in love with. CIA Operative John Burke doesn't believe her claim of innocence. When an attempt is made on her life, he believes her accomplice has turned on her. But something doesn't add up about Eve and her role in this crime she's accused of. Burke has too many questions, including - has his judgment been compromised by his fierce attraction to her? It’s a question Burke asks himself again and again but when he learns Eve’s would-be assassin is close, he goes on the run with her. It's a temporary solution - running will not keep her safe. Burke must find the assassin - or die trying.

©2011 Karen Fenech (P)2013 Books in Motion

Just who is the traitor

The problem of chemical weapons is an insidious one. This is a glued to the audio book story. Of course the ending is unexpected and the villain changes throughout the tale. Well written and timely.

Worth reading

It's a clean book with a little bit of mystery. I do think the characters were "in love" a bit quick but I enjoyed otherwise

Short Listen, Annoying Narration

Would you ever listen to anything by Karen Fenech again?

Doubtful since the writing was juvenile with absurd dialogue and behavior from both protagonists that was inconsistent with their supposed characters. The villain was absurdly trite, with no interesting motivations. The male and female leads fall in "love" without any real reasoning. There is no true sense of them getting to know one another and liking what they learn. There's not even any irresistible, overwhelming attraction that leads them to fall in bed together. It just felt like two strangers who decided to have sex then were magically in love for all time. It made no sense for either of them.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Andrea Bates?

I spent the entire book thinking about how the narration reminded me of a high school English teacher I'd had who was notorious for her monotonous reading. Ms. Bates wasn't quite as bad as that teacher, but her skill left much to be desired. Her shifts between characters were indistinguishable, making it difficult to determine who was "speaking" sometimes. Her pronunciation of some words was off as well. One example: mete, pronounced as though it was "met" when it should have been "meet." In an audible book, pronunciation matters.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No. I knew who the "bad guy" was almost immediately.

Any additional comments?

Honestly, I'm grateful this was as short a listen as it was. I was tempted to stop mid-way through, but decided to finish it since it was so short. It's definitely not a good thing when I sigh with relief as I hear the music signaling the end of a book.