• The Big Seven

  • A Faux Mystery
  • By: Jim Harrison
  • Narrated by: Jim Meskimen
  • Length: 9 hrs and 39 mins
  • 3.9 out of 5 stars (172 ratings)

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The Big Seven  By  cover art

The Big Seven

By: Jim Harrison
Narrated by: Jim Meskimen
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Publisher's summary

Jim Harrison is one of our most renowned and popular authors, and his last novel, The Great Leader, was one of the most successful in a decorated career: It appeared on the New York Times extended best-seller list and was a national best-seller with rapturous reviews. His darkly comic follow-up, The Big Seven, sends Detective Sunderson to confront his new neighbors, a gun-nut family who live outside the law in rural Michigan.

Detective Sunderson has fled troubles on the home front and bought himself a hunting cabin in a remote area of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. No sooner has he settled in than he realizes his new neighbors are creating even more havoc than the Great Leader did. A family of outlaws, armed to the teeth, the Ameses have local law enforcement too intimidated to take them on. Then Sunderson's cleaning lady, a comely young Ames woman, is murdered, and black sheep brother Lemuel Ames seeks Sunderson's advice on a crime novel he's writing, which may not be fiction. Sunderson must struggle with the evil within himself and the far greater, more expansive evil of his neighbor.

In a story shot through with wit, bedlam, and Sunderson's attempts to enumerate and master the seven deadly sins, The Big Seven is a superb reminder of why Jim Harrison is one of America's most irrepressible writers.

©2015 Jim Harrison / Text from Nightwood by Djuna Barnes © 1937 by Djuna Barnes. First published in the United States by Harcourt, Brace & Co., 1937. Second American edition published by New Directions, 1946. First published as New Directions Paperbook 98 in 1961. Reissued as New Directions Paperbook 1049 in 2006. (P)2015 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

What listeners say about The Big Seven

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Should not of been written

I’ve very much enjoyed other of Harrison’s novels, but this one should not have been written. A more appropriate title should have been, “The Ramblings of an Elderly Alcoholic Pederast”. Note to any authors planning on letting go later in life; don’t. That should be your inside voice.

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5 people found this helpful

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    1 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

So bad I’m embarrassed I listened to it.

Same old aging retired detective storyline but with a main character who is aroused by every female he sees and has sex with girls nearly 50 years younger than him. Too much pompous political commentary as well. I guess I kept waiting for some great revelation or turning point and it never happens.

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4 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Good story, poor performance.

Someone from the UP should have proof listened to this before it was released. Too many mispronounced places. Not as professional as I would expect.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

learn to pronounce the places in the book narrator

the constant mispronunciation of nearly every place the book is set in is extremely off putting and ruins an otherwise decent reading of a fine book

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A great sequel to The Great Leader

More great writing by Jim Harrison, and richly rewarding in the meditations and memories of Sunderson. The narration is excellent; I give it 4 stars only because the narrator mispronounces the names of some cities. For example, he fails to pronounce first word of Sault Saint Marie as "Sue" as anglophones do.

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1 person found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

It's worth a listen

Sometimes, it would bring to mind Richard Brautagin's work. was surprised to it was prior.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Horrible Waste of Time

Rambling and ridiculous. Does anyone know the point of this book? I stuck with it b/c it was based in Michigan's upper peninsula which I am fond of but what a huge waste of time. I'm embarrassed that I finished this audio book.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Jim Harrison A Most Unique Author

Like the story’s protagonist I’m way to mentally lazy to write extensively in this review. I merely want to encourage listeners interested in understanding the weaknesses of 20th century everyday men to experience the special talent of Jim Harrison in creating highly enjoyable narrative that embodies all of his books. Dysfunctional humans set in the background of nature, culinary pleasures, alcoholism, murder and mayhem, sex and love. And seeing myself in the characters lives. Truly a page turner with such entertaining narration. I’m on to his next story.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
  • AJ
  • 10-18-22

Not Harrison's best

This has its moments but the testosterone fueled navel gazing is a bit too much. Check out Harrison's novellas or poetry to see him on his A-game. Beautifully narrated, however.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Don't waste a credit or money on this book

The two books by Jim Harrison about Detective Sunelin were included with Audible membership so free but if I had spent money on them, I would want it back. Reviews state that Harrison is a good author but based on these two books, it is hard to see how. The stories ramble on with no clear plot, the main character has odd remembrances that doesn't seem to add much to the overall storyline
Most are about his odd sexual fantasies so he comes off as an old pervert and unlikable. The author fails to describe characters so there is no clear picture of them created in the reader's mind but he does always describe the ass of a woman character so perhaps the author is an old pervert also and the main character reflects the author's own weird views. Two totally stupid and sad books with a main character that is a total jerk. Not worth spending good money on anything by this author.

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