• The Dummy Line

  • A Jake Crosby Thriller, Book 1
  • By: Bobby Cole
  • Narrated by: Jeremy Arthur
  • Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (676 ratings)

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The Dummy Line  By  cover art

The Dummy Line

By: Bobby Cole
Narrated by: Jeremy Arthur
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Publisher's summary

Jake Crosby’s nine-year-old daughter Katy is pure tomboy, and her dad couldn’t be happier. Since she was old enough to walk, Katy has shared Jake’s love of the outdoors, taking to hunting and fishing as quickly as other kids take to baseball or bike riding. As he packs the truck for a spring turkey hunt, he vows to savor the time with his little girl. But Jake’s hopes for an idyllic weekend are shattered when a band of drug dealers attempts to break into the Crosbys’ remote hunting camp. Desperate to protect his daughter, Jake makes a violent and gut-wrenching decision.

His quick thinking enables him and Katy to escape the camp and flee into the Noxubee River swamp. The bloodthirsty criminals are hot on their trail, however, and no one, no matter how innocent, will get in the way of their vengeance. As their treacherous game of cat and mouse winds deeper into the wilderness, Jake must face the fact that not everyone will come out of the swamp alive - but he will do whatever is necessary to make sure that Katy does.

Taut and engrossing, The Dummy Line is the riveting tale of an ordinary man pushed to extraordinary lengths to protect his only child…and those for whom he feels responsible.

©2008 Bobby Cole (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

What listeners say about The Dummy Line

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

WOW! What a Rush!

This title popped up on my Kindle Deals, but I ended up buying the Audible version as well. What a GREAT read! I could not stop listening - from beginning to end it kept me entralled. It hopped around from one part of the story to the next pulling all the separate components together until they all meshed at the end. I pushed my MP3 player right up to the point where it shut itself off because the battery was nearly dead! LOL! I just couldn't give it up long enough to recharge! The triumphant ending of the good guys over the bad guys had me grinning with joyous humor. I HIGHLY recommend this book and can't wait to read the next one!

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13 people found this helpful

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

Good and Fast Paced

This was a really fast paced, on the run, page turner.   A story that could have gone very wrong at many turns.  A smart, brave man just trying to do the best he can to survive so he may save others who are unable to save themselves.  I will watch the reviews for the next in this series, but, based on this one I will look forward to another if it gets as good reviews. Good narration and one I will remember. Great price.

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12 people found this helpful

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

Rednecks Are Either Funny or Irritatating

I am born and raised in the South and I married a girl from Alabama. For me, in life and literature I find really ignorant rednecks extremely irritating. This is a story of rednecks, both good and bad. So much so I could not bring myself to finsh it.

Its fast paced and gripping, just not enough to overcome my prejudice.

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11 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

The Title Perfectly Fits the Book!

I don't want to give away the story more than the publisher's blurb, and I don't like to repeat the plot, since it's already there.

I usually like longer reads, but I'll tell you, I was very pleasantly surprised and impressed with this book! It's a no-holds-barred "Keystone Kops" kind of a novel, and I couldn't turn it off for wanting to know how it would end up. The back story is balanced quite well by the action and suspense.

I'm so glad the author has written a sequel, and I've pre-ordered it.

I heartily recommend this novel!

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10 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great intense suspense thriller!

After listening to The Rented Mule and Old Money by Bobby Cole I believed he wrote only light and funny suspense novels. I was wrong! The Dummy Line is neither light nor funny, but it is a wonderful suspense thriller.

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8 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great listen

Fast paced and hard to put down. Bobby Cole is a great story teller and I will be looking for more. The characters are developed quickly and without unnecessary information and the situations are believable. The narration is spot on and I totally enjoyed this listen. One of the best so for!

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

Heart Thumping Suspense Down South

A dad taking his nine year old daughter on a hunting trip in Alabama . . . the girl wears camo . . . loves her daddy . . . high school sweetheart out in the boonies parking and necking before heading home . . . and a bunch of crazy doped up redneck drug dealers . . . well it makes for a mess . . . the sheriff's department in the podunk town has it's share of glory seeking deputies, all good hearted country boys, some akin to Barney Fife . . . This book is all about what us southerners like, hunting, fishing, family, defending what's ours. I couldn't stop listening. I was a little irked by the narration in some places, just not pure southern to me, a little strained . . . sure didn't keep me from loving the writing . . . can't wait to listen to the next one.

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7 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great story! This could happen....

With a husband that hunts, and a daughter that joins him, this yarn really hit home. A riveting story and narration make this a great listen.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Lot of action, very little mystery

I'd say Bobby Cole is a good enough storyteller, but there was so much implausible and inconsistent in the content of this book that it left me, well, let's say unsatisfied. I mean, did he miss any of the buffoonish boorish Southern cop stereotypes? Also, it doesn't work to describe the little girl as caring about injured or abused life forms when earlier in the book she was praised for hunting and skinning game. And ridiculing that poor police dog for being distracted by an apparent neglected health problem was hardly a fair characterization; besides which, I'd expect a German Shepherd would more likely be used if you know where your criminal is hiding and want the dog to take him down, with perhaps a bloodhound or other scent hound used for the actual tracking. Gee, I didn't know I was so annoyed when I started this review. All that said, I think Mr. Cole could write a worthwhile novel if he troubled to do more research, or perhaps found a police mentor to work out some of the technical details before trying again. I would have liked this book if it had been more real for me.

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6 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

The Dummy Line - a good read!

Would you listen to The Dummy Line again? Why?

Yes! I am not a relistener. However, the quality of this book is such that I would listen again without reservation.

What other book might you compare The Dummy Line to and why?

The Dummy Line is unique. However, if I must compare it to another book....a detective novel without the detective. The police/sheriff are important in the believability of the book. Nevertheless, the main character isn't a super cop or a Demi God. He is a young father in a so so marriage that is faced with life changing choices along the Dummy Line!

What does Jeremy Arthur bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Jeremy Arthur narrates with a southern accident, just thick enough to believe him.

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

I found myself hopeful as the book progresses. However, the bad guys have one ...not so bad guy. It is odd to hope that "the not so bad guy" escapes. Of course I want this dad and his family to survive.

Any additional comments?

I have 4 sons and 1 husband. I read all the time. My boys do not read as much as I would like. I think they would all enjoy this book. I was ready for the next book and hopefully the next book by Bobby Cole.

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