Rogue Island

By: Bruce DeSilva

Narrated by: Jeff Woodman, Bruce DeSilva - introduction

Length: 7 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

Liam Mulligan is as old school as a newspaper man gets. His beat is Providence, Rhode Island, and he knows every street and alley. He knows the priests and prostitutes, the cops and street thugs. He knows the mobsters and politicians - who are pretty much one and the same. Someone is systematically burning down the neighborhood Mulligan grew up in, people he knows and loves are perishing in the flames, and the public is on the verge of panic. With the police looking for answers in all the wrong places, and with the whole city of Providence on his back, Mulligan must find the hand that strikes the match.

BONUS AUDIO: Includes an exclusive introduction written and read by author Bruce DeSilva.

©2010 Bruce DeSilva (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Edgar Award, Best First Novel, 2011
• Macavity Award, Best First Mystery Novel, 2011

"This tremendously entertaining crime novel is definitely one of the best of the year." (Booklist)

"The smallest state bursts with crime, corruption, wisecracks, and neo-noir atmosphere in Bruce DeSilva's blistering debut." (Kirkus Reviews)

"Rogue Island 'has raised the bar for all books of its kind.'" (The Dallas Morning News)

Pretty darn good!

I liked this one out of the gate - a fast moving story with the kind of dialogue that I enjoy (kind of crude but not overly vulgar or gratuitous.) I'm usually not a fan of mysteries and I had no idea it was a mystery when I downloaded it - I have so many books on my wishlist and read through so many synopsis' before I choose one that sometimes I lose track of what I'm doing. When I figured out what it was, it already had it's hooks into me - and I was enjoying it enough to squash any inclination to toss it aside because of the genre. I'll add this one to my list of fortunate mistakes and give it a strong recommendation.

great title

I loved this book. The narrative is really fluid and the narrator does such a great job that it was like listening to a friend telling a real story, the book part became completely transparent. An amazing first novel, I look forward to read more from this author. Definitively recommended.

I liked this book!

This is a Rhode Island story read with a New England swagger. I give it 3 stars, but really I enjoyed the book all the way through. It just smacked of too much corruption. Political corruption, moral corruption, media corruption, etcetera.

Good book

Good book fastbpaced, good storyline. Narrator did a good job of keeping the story going

Where news and crime intersect

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

It's very enjoyable, but that's a hard standard, as so many excel in one way or another. Liked the main characters and narration, enjoyable plot twists. A problem that all the female characters are barely even cartoons -- they seem to exist mainly for ogling and maybe some weak romantic drama (really, thinking about The Future after a few weeks of dating?). Building them up a bit would help the believability of the whole.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Rogue Island?

I really liked "meeting" the old (pseudo-)Italian guy, whose wonderful Providence-area accent, speech style, and Italian idioms brought him to life (and recalled any number of Northeast characters I've dealt with). Not a big player, but a moment that made me smile.

Have you listened to any of Jeff Woodman and Bruce DeSilva (Introduction) ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Nope.

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

I enjoyed it and would read another. Nothing extreme other than the eye-rolls over lame female characters. Did think the narrator captured the regional accent(s) wonderfully, put me right in Providence or Fall River. Also liked the specificity of the music references and so forth.

Any additional comments?

Worth a read if you like crime mysteries, regional character, and/or the politics of the news business.

Witty and Winning!

Delightful book -- full of interesting characters, dark humor, and social/political commentary delivered with a deft touch. Terrific narrator -- local color is spot on. Oh, and a good story too. I even enjoyed some oblique potshots at my august alma mater. All in all, highly recommended.

Who Knew???

What made the experience of listening to Rogue Island the most enjoyable?

Although I had concerns about the narration at the beginning, it was absolutely perfect for the book. So many voices done so well.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Not exactly on the edge of my seat, but definitely interested.

Have you listened to any of Jeff Woodman and Bruce DeSilva (Introduction) ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not listened to any Jeff Woodman/Bruce De Silva performances, so I had no expectations. Now I'm a definite fan.

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

I actually did that. It made for a sleepy Sunday, but worth it!

Any additional comments?

I don't know why I bought this book because it is definitely not my usual taste. It took me out of my reading comfort zone, but I'll be checking on other books by the same duo.

Nice find of a new series

What did you love best about Rogue Island?

The humor, the accents, Dorcas's phone calls. All around it was a good story. Will continue with this series.

Solid detective work

Any additional comments?

This is solid stuff with a newspaper reporter detective who sits at the center of everything and has more of it his own way than is good for anyone. It has a few twists and turns (and leaves a few loose ends open) and I enjoyed it to the end as I guessed some and got blind-sided by others. The Providence details definitely add to the whole, but I'm not burning to read any next installments.

That said, the reading is exceptional -- just the right hint of a New England accent and a good, engaging speed.

Great New Series

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

One of the top 10%.

What did you like best about this story?

I became friends with the characters... and made a few new enemies as well.

Which scene was your favorite?

The respect shown to Mulligan by "the business men" by dismissing him from the long table before business was concluded.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

"I gotta change that ring tone..."

Any additional comments?

If you like Lee Child and John Sanford you must buy this book.