Long Knives

Robert Tarza, Book 2

By: Charles Rosenberg

Narrated by: Kate Rudd, Christopher Lane

Length: 12 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

Jenna James’ life has been smooth-sailing since she left the high-powered law firm of Marbury Marfan. She’s happily ensconced as a professor at a prestigious law school, where she’s well liked by her students, coupled up with a handsome colleague, and on track for tenure. But things take a shocking turn one morning when a student, Primo, comes to Jenna’s office seeking her advice about a treasure map he recently inherited. When Primo turns up dead and Jenna is suddenly the prime suspect in a murder investigation, everyone turns on her. Desperate for help, she calls on two old friends: Robert Tarza, her old law partner from Marbury Marfan, and Oscar Quesana, an odd-duck solo practitioner. The three race to save Jenna’s career - and perhaps her life - in this whip-smart thriller of treasure maps, murder, and law school politics.

©2014 Charles Rosenberg (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

An enjoyable - distraction - good listen

If you could sum up Long Knives in three words, what would they be?

Surprisingly good

What about Kate Rudd and Christopher Lane ’s performance did you like?

Yes!!!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

Although the plot was not anything completely novel or thrilling, reading the book was an easy, distracting journey; I seem to like the style of the authors' writing because the book was nothing all that special in terms of uniqueness of plot. Yet, I was ill inclined to stop listening. I think this book was very well-suited to audio. If I had actually been reading it I am not sure that I would've finished the book.

Double Down

I read this book when it released. Now I went back and listened again as I am going the three-part series. This thriller is full of twist and 100% worth the cash!!

Slow and Unorganized Story

Would you try another book from Charles Rosenberg and/or Kate Rudd and Christopher Lane ?

No I think one is enough

What was most disappointing about Charles Rosenberg’s story?

It was so slow moving and very unrealistic and disorganized

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

Sure

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

No I did not finish it - gave up half way through it.

Why, oh, why???

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Probably nothing, but keeping the same narrator from Death on a High Floor would be a huge start

Would you ever listen to anything by Charles Rosenberg again?

Probably not

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Long Knives?

I could only struggle through about 20% of the book-narration was a HUGE disappointment; I so looked forward to the sequel of Death on a High Floor, which I thoroughly enjoyed in every way--plot, characters and narration.

Disaster on Campus

And it wasn't the murder either. The first book in this series, Death On A High Floor, was clever, witty, had excellent courtroom intrigue, great characters and was brilliantly narrator. This one has not wit, no intrigue, is populated by miserable characters, (foremost the main character), and the narration is monotonous.

Jen is no longer the brilliant and funny protege, but a stodgy, hyper- sensitive law professor with no friends and no life. Robert is still a snob, but with no sense of humor. Oscar is the only saving grace.

Don't bother with this one.

Disappointing story with terrible audio

The story was convoluted and drawn out. If I hadn't bought the book (with audio) I would not have bothered finishing it. The audio was one of the worst I have ever encounter! They kept changing the persons doing the various characters. It is truly a shame because Rosenberg's first book in this series was outstanding.

Not Death on a High Floor

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

A better ending. It smacks of an Agatha Christie ending out of left field without the benefit of Agatha's excellent character and plot.

Has Long Knives turned you off from other books in this genre?

No, but I will look closely at this author

What about Kate Rudd and Christopher Lane ’s performance did you like?

Mr. Lane is Robert Tarza. Ms. Rudd is a little wooden, but OK

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

Disappointment! What a lackluster ending to such a promising plot.

I really tried to get through this!

I bought this book in spite of the bad reviews because I enjoyed Death on the Eighty- fifth Floor so much. I really don't know if the book is any good because the narrator is so bad you can't stand to listen to her. I thought that it would get better when the Italian died and I didn't have to listen to her bad Italian accent but her other characterizations were almost as awful. Take the advice of the reviewers and skip this one!

Disappointing sequel to Death on a Hgh Floor

Jenna James is again the protagonist but she is now a boring UCLA law professor interested mostly about laws governing recovery of treasure from sunk ships. Oscar and Frank who were lawyers from the same firm as Jenna, both now retied, are back. Oscar, who handles Jenna's criminal case, is by far the most interesting of the three main characters. Long Knives is a carelessly written and excessively wordy novel; it reads like a first draft. It is disappointing coming from Charles Rosenberg who wrote such wonderful novels as Death on a High Floor and Write to Die. Unlike many reviewers I like the narration by Christopher Lane and Kate Rudd.

Narration Kills It

Once this review is written, I'm going to demand my credit back for this turkey. Two hours in and I'm bored senseless. The narration is stiff, clipped and completely opposite to the voice of Jenna in "Death on a High Floor", the first and far-superior novel by Charles Rosenberg. In the first book, Jenna was smart but brash, funny and sometimes a smart-ass. Now she's supposedly a tight-assed professor with absolutely no sense of fun which is underscored by the precise, wooden articulation of the narrator.

To be fair to Mr. Rosenberg, I'm quitting only two hours into his story so it's possible, I suppose, that it picks up speed and actually goes somewhere at some point. However, I'm having absolutely no fun at all listening to it and I've better things to do.