The Colonel's Mistake

A Mark Sava Spy Novel, Book 1

By: Dan Mayland

Narrated by: Richard Allen

Length: 8 hrs

Publisher's summary

In Baku, Azerbaijan, CIA operations officer Daria Buckingham is arrested for a heinous crime. Her former boss, retired CIA station chief Mark Sava, is sure she’s innocent and tries to help her out - landing him in the middle of the new Great Game, an espionage war over oil that has China, Iran, and the United States clawing at each other’s throats. Back in Washington, DC, Colonel Henry Amato, assistant to the US national security advisor, is keeping a close watch on the situation. His stake in the Great Game is high - and personal.

The first novel of a globetrotting new thriller series, The Colonel’s Mistake takes listeners on an unforgettable ride into the shadows of the world’s most volatile region, where the good, the bad, and the brutal play a deadly chess game of global espionage.

©2012 Dan Mayland (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Just Wasn't A Good Audiobook

I couldn't get into this audiobook and it took me a while to figure out why.

Primarily I think it was the narration what was the most troubling. I didn't care for the timber, sound, or quality of the voice. And, felt think the entire book was read like a breaking news bulletin.

Plus, the story just plotted along too much. It wasn't all that interesting. More of the same about the middle east.

I was disappointed in the story and narration. [sigh] On to something better...

My Ears! My Ears!

What did you like best about The Colonel's Mistake? What did you like least?

The story was very good. The narration was TERRIBLE.

What didn’t you like about Richard Allen’s performance?

Very little. He was okay when reading dialogue but his narration was awful. I wondered if English was his first language. Very stilted.

Any additional comments?

Glad I didn't waste a credit on this book.

interesting, not what i was expecting

If you could sum up The Colonel's Mistake in three words, what would they be?

this was an old little experience from audible. i figured it out about half way through and was just curious enough to listen to the rest to find out the ending.
not bad, entertaining, good location, planes, trains n automobiles.
i may even buy another one from the author.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

kinda anti-climatic, but better than most.
the author drops enough bread crumbs along the way that you figure out the plot twist by the end of the book.

What three words best describe Richard Allen’s voice?

different, not bad, not quite melodic, but not like sand paper in my ears.
he has some fluctuation in tenor that makes it possible to differentiate the characters.

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

soldiers do goofy crap while deployed overseas?

Any additional comments?

meh, give it a shot, i listen to two books a month and this one was ok.

Worst male narrater I've heard.

The book had a good storyline I enjoyed reading. As for Richard Allen. I felt as if I were in 1st. grade being read to by a teacher that wanted to make sure I very distinctly heard and understood each word individually. He didn't seem to have a connection with the story except when he used a southern accent.

Disappointing start to a great series!

I listened to Books 2, 3, and 4 in the Mark Sava series before The Colonel's Mistake. Had I listened to The Colonel's mistake first I would not have listened to other books in the series.

Terrible Narration

Would you consider the audio edition of The Colonel's Mistake to be better than the print version?

I imagine this book would be great to read.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Daria, Great heroin

How could the performance have been better?

The narrator was clearly reading, very choppy and difficult to finish.

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

no

Speech synthesizer needed calibration

What disappointed you about The Colonel's Mistake?

The story was just so so... but extremely difficult to listen to. The narrator's pitch, enunciation and oddly placed inflections are so far off that it frequently sounds computerized. There is no "acting" only reading word by word. Ultimately, the narrator's voice became the focus, distracting from the story.

What do you think your next listen will be?

The Leveling. I am going to give Dan Mayland another chance... with a different narrator.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Richard Allen?

Kyf Brewer, Armand Shultz, Scott Brick, Jeff Woodman or George Guidall are all fantastic.

Narration not so good

The narrator WAY over enunciated. I often had a hard time following the characters due to the narrator.

The story wasn't bad. Rather predictable, but that's the style. Worth the time... no Clancy

Terrible narrator!!

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

A narrator who doesn't sound like he's reading to 3rd grade Sunday school class.

How could the performance have been better?

A different narrator.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Good story

Good book

Good book it tells the back story of Mark Sava. it's worth the time, it's a good series.