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.

Loved it!

My first Robert Crais Book and definitely not my last. I’m looking forward to discovering more of his work.

Great book

Not like any other book I’ve read, great story. %100 recommend! Narrator did a really good job too

Suspect

what a great book. I couldn't stop listening to it. I was at the edge of my seat the whole time.

Excellent story!

This is the first book I've read from this author & one of the best books I've read in a long time. The plot was quite good with a just a few somewhat implausible happenings but this is a novel so I didn't find them at all annoying as it was still well plotted & thought out. What was truly wonderful were the characters, especially Maggie. I like dogs but am not a dog "lover" - with that being said the way the author made Maggie come to life makes me view dogs differently and understand them better. His truly unique way of explaining what & how Maggie might be thinking made her an integral part of the story and turned her into a character instead of just a furry friend. In addition, the narration was excellent!

Excellent writing and outstanding narrator

Can’t recommend enough!! My first Crais novel read for a book club and was seriously impressed.

very good story, unique

Loved it all. Very good story line. The author kept me interested and wanting to hear more. The story took an unexpected turn at the end.

A fun escape

Very interesting getting the POV of the dog. Strong story. Plausible. Worthy of your time!

Awesome on many levels...

STORY - I loved this book. There is so much going on -- it is a very good police procedural, a heartwarming dog story and also provides a glimpse into the training and lives of police dogs and their handlers. The story will draw you in immediately and won't let you go till the end. You will love the way Maggie (dog) and Scott meet, train and the way their relationship grows and heals their emotional wounds. You will enjoy the insight into Maggie's thinking. And all this is going on during a police investigation into a very interesting crime!

FOR DOG LOVERS WHO DON'T LIKE SAD BOOKS (SLIGHT SPOILER): If you're like me, you don't listen to dog books because you're afraid they'll be sad. The worst part of this book occurs briefly in approximately the first ten minutes. It's sad, but the author just covers what happens because it's important to the story and he doesn't draw it out unnecessarily. The rest of the book is great and MORE than makes up for the sadness in the beginning.

NARRATOR - Really good job. (Thought about rating the performance a 5 and don't really know why I didn't).

OVERALL - I can't imagine anyone not loving this book (except maybe children because of some violence and inappropriate language). Highly recommended.

Another wonderful Crais novel!

Robert Crais is as reliable as a writer can be and more. This book is a great example. It's as enjoyable as all of his books AND it takes me on a new and unexpected adventure. If I had read a sloppy summary of this book I don't know if I would have picked it up, but Crais grabbed me immediately and never lost me.
Lots of writers have given a bad reputation to books that have a dog in a central role. While I love Jack London's dog books and would compare Crais' sensitive handling of the dog's narrative to London, this is a human's story. Maggie, a retired military dog, is the companion that catalyzes our hero's actions.
Put yourself in Crais' hands. Don't be afraid of the dog.

Simply Wonderful

I cried when I listened to the first chapter! I cried again later in a scene between Scott and Maggie. If you can only listen to one book this year this should be it.
This is not a new plot but the addition of Maggie the dog and the great use of her as an additional player and her perception as a layer to the story gives the whole book a new twist, freshness and huge impact. I have a dog that I am certain would protect us ( its pack ) without any thought that there was another option. It's a little scary having this responsibility. Many authors have tried to make the dog a character but in Suspect this works best for me. The dog is an equal - more than equal in many ways. The other characters are great and Scott is terrific. The bonding of Maggie and Scott and their shared recovery is superb - it could easily have been over done or have become mawkish and sentimental - it doesn't - great writing. Scott's recurring view that Maggie was more loyal than he was is very powerful. The story twists and turns and I found myself having to take a break a few times - its intense. I don't think think my wife will ever read this review but - just in case - she is pack as well!