Nocturnal: A Novel

By: Scott Sigler

Narrated by: Phil Gigante

Length: 22 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

Homicide detective Bryan Clauser is losing his mind. How else to explain the dreams he keeps having - dreams that mirror, with impossible accuracy, the gruesome serial murders taking place all over San Francisco? How else to explain the feelings these dreams provoke in him - not disgust, not horror, but excitement?

As Bryan and his longtime partner, Lawrence 'Pookie' Chang, investigate the murders, they learn that things are even stranger than they at first seem. For the victims are all enemies of a seemingly ordinary young boy - a boy who is gripped by the same dreams that haunt Bryan. Meanwhile, a shadowy vigilante, seemingly armed with superhuman powers, is out there killing the killers. And Bryan and Pookie's superiors - from the mayor on down - seem strangely eager to keep the detectives from discovering the truth.

Doubting his own sanity and stripped of his badge, Bryan begins to suspect that he's stumbled into the crosshairs of a shadow war that has gripped his city for more than a century - a war waged by a race of killers living in San Francisco's unknown, underground ruins, emerging at night to feed on those who will not be missed.

And as Bryan learns the truth about his own intimate connections to the killings, he discovers that those who matter most to him are in mortal danger…and that he may be the only man gifted - or cursed - with the power to do battle with the nocturnals.

Featuring a dazzlingly plotted mystery and a terrifying descent into a nightmarish underworld - long with some of the most incredible action scenes ever put to paper, and an explosive, gut-wrenching conclusion you won't soon forget, Nocturnal is the most spectacular outing to date from one of the genre's brightest stars.

©2012 Scott Sigler (P)2013 Empty Set Entertainment

brilliant

wasn't sure about this one...but was pleasantly surprised. superb narrator. would be a great start to a decent series

BlueBalls!

Funny, scary, and smart! Good time listening. Can't wait for there to be a movie!

Weird Unique Awkward

It was a unique story but some of the writing was awkward and there was a lot of ex machina. I don't even know what group to put this book in. Superhero? Monster? Action? Cop? I mainly finished it because I was too far in and wanted to see where it was going to go. Also has a lot of colorful descriptions aka dont listen to this book without headphones.

Great book! Narrator needs work.

I liked the new concepts introduced here just like in many of Sigler’s books. I just wish the narrator had less “mouth noise” while reading. Other than that it was a great listen!

Great book, but not a happy one

This turned out to be more of a downer and a horror tale than I expected from how it started. It was still very well written and narrated and I can't take away from that, but not a tale or type of tale I would like to listen to again. If a book where the bad guys really are gory and become more and more unlikable and the misery for the good guys is pretty intense and unrelieved is something you are ok with than by all means buy this book. The story is good with a couple too many stereotypes and typical scenarios to make it great. The narrator was very good, but there were some effects with the narration that I found distracting and a couple of plot inconsistencies that maybe made sense if you attributed it to flaws in characters, but maybe just forgetting the world and environment the author had built.

wow

this shouldn't have been as good as it was. it was weird but not super corny.

hi

love the Audible book help you make a sequel to it someday love how you ended on a cliffhanger.

Narration

This was really hard to listen to because the narration was bad. Loud and whiny voices irritating

LIFE IS SHORT, TREATS ARE GOOD

SO GOOD, YOU WOULD SLAP YOUR SISTER TO GET SOME.
With the exception of the first hour or two, I loved this. At first I thought Pookie was just plain annoying. Once I got into it, I loved him. He made the novel. He is a wise cracking smartie, who will make you laugh and laugh. His timing is perfect, especially in a tension filled book. Phil the narrator does a great job with all the characters, but especially with Pookie.

COPS ARE LIKE BUGS, THERE ARE ALWAYS MORE ON THE WAY.
This is a long novel, (22 and a half hours), but it will not seem that way, until the end when you think back to all that happens in it. This has werewolves, monsters, more monsters and even more monsters. We have a mysterious killer or killers and the mayor, police commissioner, and the Chief Medical Examiner seem to be covering for him or them. Two inspectors are trying to solve some very grisly murders, but find they also have to fight their own bosses. There is mystery after mystery. The main character Brian, is hard headed and no matter what, he is going to do the right thing. His partner Pookie is the best friend a person can have and sometimes you will wonder why, when Brian is such a dick at times. This is not only a good horror novel, but it can pull at your heart strings.

THAT BEANER WAS FAST
To some of you more sophisticated readers, this might seem sophomoric. For me, it was a great escape. There is some science, mostly involving genetics. You get the good guys view and you get the bad guys view. It is actually a complicated story, well told. It is over 22 hours because of the vastness of the story. It is all entertaining. Well, except maybe for the first hour or two. At first I did not think I would stay with, I was afraid it was going to be silly. To some it may still seem that way at the end, but I really got into it. Give it a good four hours before you decide. GUY LOOKS LIKE HE FARTS TAX CODE.

YOU KNOW YOU CAN SWEAR AROUND ME, I'M NOT GOING TO TELL THE TEACHER
If you are offended by bad language or adult situations, or gory situations, then do not buy the book. All of that is in the book. This is my second Sigler book and in both, he has managed to have a scene that I will never forget. In Infected, it was a guy who cut off his own legs. It was a fast scene in which my response was, what just happened? In this book it was a scene where bullies break a boy's arm. I saw it coming and I cringed, hoping it would not happen. It was suspenseful. DON'T BE A SENSITIVE SALLY.


At first I thought Phil's voice had a silly aspect to it. It sounded like he was making too light of the story, but I grew to really like his performance. He does really good characters and I think he also makes the book better. I also had no problem with the sound effects. In some books it is a problem, when you can not hear the narrator because of them, but that does not happen in this book. I will admit the two way phone clicking was a bit ear shattering, but it does not happen that often or enough to ruin the book. Personally I think sound effects and music (just like in movies) can enhance the readers experience.

Scottt Sigler is at it again!

What made the experience of listening to Nocturnal: A Novel the most enjoyable?

I love the story and the memorable characters, Bryan, Pookie, Robin, and of course Mr Biznass.

What did you like best about this story?

The seamless blending of hard police science and proceedure with the supernatural horrors.

Which character – as performed by Phil Gigante – was your favorite?

Mr Biznass. It would be Pookie Chang, but I will forever hear Scott's version of pookie in my head when his lines are spoken.

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

Chief Zou's choice. 'nuff said

Any additional comments?

Would be a 5 star performance for Mr. Gigante, If I had never heard Scott's version of Pookie.