Marine One

By: James W. Huston

Narrated by: Joe Barrett

Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

After the presidents' helicopter, Marine One, goes down in a brutal thunderstorm, the government blames the European manufacturer of the helicopter, accusing them of killing the president.

Senate investigations and Justice Department accusations multiply as Mike Nolan, a Marine Corps reserve helicopter pilot and trial attorney in civilian life, is hired to defend the company from the criminal investigations and a wrongful-death lawsuit brought by the most notorious lawyer in America on behalf of the First Lady.

Nolan knows that to win his case, he has to find out what really caused Marine One to crash and why the president threw caution aside to go to a meeting no one seems to know about.

©2009 James W. Huston (P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Nonstop legal suspense at its best."( Publishers Weekly)

engaging

Really enjoyed this book. Cannot wait to hear the next one. New author for me.

Starts with a bang...(actually, a crash)

STORY - (courtroom thriller) I really, really enjoyed this book. There is an intense investigation involving the crash of a French-made helicopter which kills the President of the U.S. There are all kinds of theories of whether it was due to faulty manufacturing, a storm-related accident or whether there were motives to sabotage the copter and murder the President. The investigation culminates in a federall trial where the First Lady and widows of the crew of Marine One are suing the French manufacturer for over a billion dollars. I thought the whole book was exciting and very, very interesting. I would have rated it a 5 except for the fact that I am in the legal profession and some of the courtroom procedures were a bit over the top. Despite the fact that I sometimes would roll my eyes, it was great listening.

PERFORMANCE - The narrator did a good job, but nothing exceptional. He didnt try very hard to distinguish between the different characters.

OVERALL - (Actual rating 4.5) Great courtroom thriller with elements of crash investigation and political conspiracy. No violence or foul language.

Just as good, or perhaps better than John Grisham

This is both an international spy thriller and a courtroom drama book. The author does a great job of combining the 2 genres into one compelling novel. If you like John Grisham or Tom Clancy you will like this book.

After the crash of Marine One and the death of the president a witch hunt begins to assign blame for the crash. The likely target is the helicopter's builder and a French company World Copter. Was it a plot by the French to kill the president or just a bad design? (The story is partly based on reality because there was a big hoopla over who would build Marine One, and the contract was given partly to an Italian company. The trial in the novel also brings up the cost of the helicopter which in reality at $400M each costs as much as Airforce One, the president's 747).

The lawyer called on to the defend the company, Mike Nolan, is a helicopter pilot himself, and quickly realizes that something is not quite right. As in any good courtroom drama, the truth comes out, and the culprit's are not the ones anyone suspects.

The narration is quite good. If this book was from a better know author I am sure it would be on the top seller list since it is actually better than many of the ones there at this time.

Fast pace and fun and well worth one credit for 12 hours of listening..

Okay, but left you hanging...

This was NOT my favorite book from audible. I got it during the paperback sale on a lark. It's a decent book, with some strong central characters. However, the ending really irritated me. The main story was wrapped up, but all of the parallel lines of smaller stories were just left hanging. When I was teaching speech I would have counted off for the "psychological noise" factor.

Un-put-downable!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

What a terrific Audible book! The narration was fantastic and the story, compelling. I couldn't stop listening - even while I was brushing my teeth! Highly recommended!

What did you like best about this story?

Likable hero, believable story, thrilling action, and superb voice.

Which character – as performed by Joe Barrett – was your favorite?

Mike Nolan!

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

Yes!

Any additional comments?

Now I have to look up other books narrated by Joe Barrett. Great reader!

Had to listen to it continuously until I finished

Once I started listening to it I had to listen to it completely right through the night into the next day.

Suspense & Intrigue

Combine national & international interests with suspenseful litigation & courtroom drama. Throw in scientific analysis and legal craft -- holds interest to the end.

Fun legal/techno thriller

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Kind of like Clancy meets Grisham. Thriller that has elements of military and aviation combined with legal tussling, with a dash of politics thrown in to boot. Not quite as good as Clancy or Grisham, but good fun.

Thrilling story with amazing narration

I couldn't put it down. The story is amazing and the narration adds to it immensely. I never read a legal thriller before but this is just as interesting as any other fiction thriller on the market.

Best book I've listened to in awhile

If you could sum up Marine One in three words, what would they be?

Better than Grisham

What other book might you compare Marine One to and why?

Reminds me of Presumed Innocent

What about Joe Barrett’s performance did you like?

He really captured the essence of the character

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me listed to it all hours of day and night and then I was sad when I finished it

Any additional comments?

Great book to listen to in car with family of boys!