Suspect

By: Robert Crais

Narrated by: MacLeod Andrews

Length: 8 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award Finalist, Thriller/Suspense, 2014

For 25 years, Robert Crais has written extraordinary novels of crime and suspense. He is "a master of crime fiction" (Associated Press); "his novels get better with every new book" (Portland Oregonian); "Crais is hands-down the world’s greatest crime writer" (The Huffington Post).

But in Suspect, he may have written his most remarkable novel of all.

LAPD cop Scott James is not doing so well, not since a shocking nighttime assault by unidentified men killed his partner, Stephanie, nearly killed him, and left him enraged, ashamed, and ready to explode. He is unfit for duty - until he meets his new partner.

Maggie is not doing so well, either. The German shepherd survived three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan sniffing explosives before she lost her handler to an IED and sniper attack, and her PTSD is as bad as Scott’s.

They are each other’s last chance. He was a young cop on the rise; she was bred to guard and protect. Now they are shunned and shunted to the side. They are suspect. And together they will set out to investigate the one case that no one wants them to touch: the identity of the men who murdered Stephanie.

Nine months and sixteen days later, they remained free. They were still out there.

What they begin to find is nothing like what Scott has been told, and where it will lead them will take them both through the darkest moments of their own personal hells. Whether they will make it out again, no one can say.

Thrilling, emotional, intense, with some of the best characters and well-crafted writing in all of crime fiction, Suspect is further proof that "Crais just keeps getting better" (Publishers Weekly).

©2013 Robert Crais (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Great Storytelling and a performance to match!

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

Compact, engaging, substantial.

What did you like best about this story?

This is a great twist on a thriller, delivering unpredictable villains and even more unpredictable heroes. The shifting points of view richly enhance the reader's experience without being repetitious.

Which character – as performed by MacLeod Andrews – was your favorite?

Maggie.

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

I consumed it!

Any additional comments?

Looking forward to more about Scott James and Maggie

Spectacular author, intelligent plot

If you love dogs, this book is especially great! A very well thought out book...

The Good, The Bad, and The Dog

Absolutely gripping from the start . . . the scene in Afghanistan with Maggie and Pete . . . it tore at me like a saw into raw meat . . . Then as the story continued in LA when Maggie was donated to the police department and began working with Scott, the two wounded warriors began a journey that I couldn't stop listening to . . . both struggling against deep physical and emotional injuries so devastating that most folks have given up on them. As they team up together though, dog and police officer, you can't help but start rooting for them. There's a lot of mystery and suspense, and the deck is stacked against Scott and Maggie. This is a great listen!

A good story of a man and his dog.

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

This is a little out of the order of other Crais books but still enjoyable, all the same. The narrator did an excellent job. The story flows easily, and though it's quite easy to guess what is coming next, it has a satisfying end.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked Maggie best.

If you like mysteries and dogs get this book.

This story had me in tears within the first few minutes, but not to worry the story is not that sad. Great character build up, the friendship that grows between Scott and Maggie is heartwarming. I loved Maggie. I liked how the book is partly from Maggie's point of view. I have two dogs and in the spirit of this book I let them walk me one day instead of me walking them. We didn't get far, mostly circles. Of course my dogs are not trained to do anything but eat and poop. Although the mystery was good, the parts I was mostly into was the nature of the dog and her training. Narrator does an excellent job.

You'll want to go buy a dog after listening

This was a great read with the main character being a dog. I was not sure before I bought it, but once I listened I have recommended to many others. Although slightly violent it is a good read for a teenager. My 14 year daughter loved it.

It is quite fast paced and interesting to learn about how dogs deal with scent. Imagine if you could smell a cup of coffee from a half mile away, or track down people just by the scent they leave in the air.

The narration was quite excellent since the story is told mostly from one perspective. The good thing, so far, is it is not part of a series like many of the author's other books. Even if there was a sequel, however, I doubt I would read it. It is just a good one-book listen. Enjoy.

Brave Hearts

Great story and a great way of telling it. I loved the parts where we get to hear what Maggie is thinking and feeling. These dogs are not always able to be re-trained for police work since they do suffer PTSD as well their handlers. I loved the bonding between Maggie and her new Alpha after the loss of Pete. The ending I wont spoil but I will say my heart was just up in my throat. I was not familiar with this narrator but he has a great voice and knows how to perk up or slow down to fit the scene. Great all around effort. Totally enjoyable.

German Shepherd Lovers - this is for you!

This book ticks lots of boxes for me and I expect we will see a movie made from it. Quite a bit of gun violence, some characters with profanity... but not too intense, no sex. Heartwarming relationship as wounded police officer with PTSD is partnered with Iraq military dog who had similar trauma... they help each other heal while solving major case. A little more head-hopping type point of view than I like... but don't think it could be written without it. Love that Maggie dog.

Rivoting from the very first chapter.

Would you consider the audio edition of Suspect to be better than the print version?

I used immersion on the Kindle fire hd (which syncronizes the audio and print). So I can't say which is better. However, if I had to choose, I think I liked the audio version so much I would have to choose the audio over the print version. MacLeod Andrews did such a great job of pacing the entire book. There was nothing lost in the narration.

Which character – as performed by MacLeod Andrews – was your favorite?

I loved Maggie. From the first chapter when we are introduced to the connection between Pete and Maggie to the very last page, I was pulling for Maggie.
In addition, I liked the interaction between Scott James and Leland.

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

I did listen/read to this audiobook in one sitting. It was raining here today and it was such a great read on such a gloomy day.

Dog lovers will love

If you love dogs, you're very likely to love this book. Much of it is written from the perspective of the dog. You'll hear what she's thinking, smelling, seeing. And the love that grows between her and her handler is incredibly moving. I must have choked up 50 times listening to it. The folks at the gym must have wondered about me!