Nightlife

By: Thomas Perry

Narrated by: Shelly Frasier

Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

By turns horrifying and erotic, critically-acclaimed author Thomas Perry's new thriller takes us on a dangerous cat-and-mouse game that pits two women against each other: a beautiful serial killer and the detective who is determined to stop her.

When the cousin of Los Angeles underworld figure Hugo Poole is found shot to death in his Portland, Oregon, home, police find nothing at the scene of the crime except several long strands of blonde hair hinting that a second victim may have been involved. Hotel security tapes from the victim's last vacation reveal an out-of-focus picture of a young blond woman entering and leaving his room. Could she also be a murder victim? Portland homicide detective Catherine Hobbes is determined to solve the case and locate the missing blonde, but her feelings, and the investigation, are complicated when Hugo hires private detective Joe Pitt to perform a parallel investigation. As Joe and Catherine form an uneasy alliance, the murder count rises, and both realize that the pretty young woman in the security tapes is not a victim at all.

As Catherine follows the evidence, she finds herself in a deadly contest with an unpredictable adversary capable of changing her appearance and identity at will. Catherine must use everything she knows, as a homicide detective and as a woman, to stop a murderer who kills on impulse and with ease, and who becomes more efficient and elusive with each crime.

©2006 Thomas Perry (P)2006 Tantor Media, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Nightlife is a smart, engaging read." (Bookmarks Magazine)
"Reinterpreting conventions and confounding readers' expectations with fascinating characters, this is Perry at his best." (Publishers Weekly)

Nightlife (Unabridged)

Engaging and entertaining. I didn't want to be interrupted because I had to know what would happen next.

A really great book, filled with a few loose ends but doable.

I could pick out some flaws, but overall it was a great listen. Flipping back and forth on characters was a bit difficult, but as I said, doable. I liked the narrator, she read well. Storyline was a bit unbelievable, because one woman cannot create that much carnage!

Suprisingly Good

Since this was a sale book, I did not have great expectations for it. I was pleasantly surprised. Perry developed his characters well and readers should have little trouble immersing themselves in them. Most folks probably have a hard time grasping what goes on in the mind of a psycopath. I do. But they way Perry let you into the mind of Charlene provided clear insight as to what made her tick. At times, the reader might be tempted to agree with her logic. Well, maybe not agree, but comprehend. The only criticism I have of this book is its rather abrupt conclusion. Perry spent a lot of time developing scenarios and using flashbacks to give perspective, only to give the impression that his publisher gave him 30 minutes to wrap things up when he still had a lot of writing to do. If I could subtract a half a star for this I would. The narration was steady and without major fault. This book is worth an Audible credit.

Ugh

I really liked this book but the editing at the end reallllllly negatively impacted my whole experience with it.
Without spoiling it there is a pivotal point at the end and the editing of the audio is horrible and makes the entire scene fall flat.
Otherwise good book and great narration. I really love this narrators voice.

Great story that makes you want more.

Love the book and the author. The negative I need to say is how the ending was presented. Without devolging specifics I felt the ending was just dumped and drawn out with perfection as the rest of the book was. As if the author was late for his deadline and just ended it.

Loved every minute

BUT, the ending was too abrupt for such a good plot. A little disappointing , I thought.

Don't miss this one!

I no longer read thrillers about serial killers-Silence of the Lambs was my last. The genre seemed to have mutated to senseless gruesome and gore-filled images. Nightlife is different. I don't remember how I heard about it, but I am delighted to have discovered Thomas Perry. This book features a female serial killer. The killings are described but there is no effort to gross the reader out. Mr. Perry is interested in making believable characters involved at high levels of stress mix it up. Each character - no matter how slight a role he or she plays - is recognizable to the point that you care what happens to them. This book is not to be missed by any serious mystery reader.

Inside the Head of a Serial Killer

Where does Nightlife rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I've listened to quite a few, and this one was one of the most memorable of the commercial a-books.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Det. Hobbes, because she was able to critically view herself and her past and accept her life's path.

What about Shelly Frasier’s performance did you like?

Ms. Fraiser was able to convey the attraction and detachment of the killer to her victims, and the twisted self-centered thought process against the police tracking her.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The first chapter set the book's tone, really. But I was definitely moved when the private detective confronted the killer.

Any additional comments?

This was one of the best I've heard on my audible account. Glad I caught this one.

Great story and narration

I took this "listen" with me everywhere until I finished it. Thomas Perry is one of my favorite thriller writers.

Humph...

A really disappointing ending tp a ho hum book. Not my favorite rite by a long shot.