The Professionals

By: Owen Laukkanen

Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini

Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

Four friends, recent college graduates, caught in a terrible job market, joke about turning to kidnapping to survive. And then, suddenly, it's no joke. For two years, the strategy they devise - quick, efficient, low risk - works like a charm. Until they kidnap the wrong man.

Now two groups they've very much wanted to avoid are after them - the law, in the form of veteran state investigator Kirk Stevens and hotshot young FBI agent Carla Windermere, and an organized-crime outfit looking for payback. As they all crisscross the country in deadly pursuit and a series of increasingly explosive confrontations, each of them is ultimately forced to recognize the truth: The true professionals, cop or criminal, are those who are willing to sacrifice...everything.

A finger-burning page-turner, filled with twists, surprises, and memorably complex characters, The Professionals marks the arrival of a remarkable new writer.

©2012 Owen Laukkanen (P)2012 Penguin Audiobooks

Critic reviews

“Fasten your seat belts, Owen Laukkanen’s The Professionals is one heck of a wild ride. A first-class thriller by a terrific new voice.” (John Lescroart)

“Really terrific – characters that live and breathe, a just-right story, and chills aplenty. Highly recommended." (Lee Child)

“Smoothly written, with a slam-bang ending, The Professionals is a brutally beautiful piece of work. Owen Laukkanen takes us straight into the hearts of the bad guys, and what we find there is something very complicated and still very bad. The cops are just as complex as the villains, and Laukkanen nicely captures the personal and sexual tension between Kirk Stevens and Carla Windermere as they track down the gang: this is a pairing that will wear well.” (John Sandford)

Excellent read!

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

I loved this book in audio as I could get through it quicker. I listen when I am doing other activites around the house.

What did you like best about this story?

Well written. Aptly named. I was rooting for the the good and the bad guys. This book kept me on edge and was fast paced.

Have you listened to any of Edoardo Ballerini’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Ballerini is a new favorite narrator.

Murder, Mayhem & a Wicked Sense of Humor!

What made the experience of listening to The Professionals the most enjoyable?

The protagonists are well drawn and realistic...they could have been you or me on a really stupid day. Every time you think the story is predictable...it changes course. These kids get themselves into one impossible situation after another until the whole thing spirals out of control...and yet...they pull it off. And as it gets nuttier and nuttier, even the goons get funny in a sort of twisted Tony Soprano/Quentin Tarentino sort of way. BUT the underlay is serious...and ultimately sad. Even though you KNOW how its going to end...you don't believe it until the end...and even then...you may not have quite guessed it. I guess you'll have to listen to find out. It is well worth the time. This is a great story!

What other book might you compare The Professionals to and why?

What other book might I compare it to...I don't know. This is just really good writing and sound research. The story could have happened, just as written...unlikely, but possible, maybe not even unlikely. However although played out in different arenas, he is like Tom Clancy or Ken Follett or Daniel Silva in the quality of his story telling.

Which character – as performed by Edoardo Ballerini – was your favorite?

Ballerini is so good and the story creates such an array of interesting characters, that I can't choose one as my favorite. I have, however, decided that Ballerini is my new favorite male narrator. He really displays a full range of emotional vocabulary for each of Laukkanen's well-conceived characters - from deadpan to hysterical. Each voice was distinctive and there was never any confusion about who was speaking. And...he does a really, really good East Coast thug accent -- that one is really hard to do and in making the chief bad guy believable, he also humanized him. This book, this writer, this narrator...all top shelf -- Well Done -- top to bottom. I do have to say though, that I was more drawn to the kids then to Stevens and Windermere, I'm looking forward to the second book, hopefully Mr. Laukkanen has written another winner.

Any additional comments?

I had not heard of Owen Laukkanen before and took a chance because I like the genre and I was finishing up the last of Tom Clancy's books. Having just finished the Professionals, I would say that Owen Laukkanen has a new fan in me...

ok crime thriller

I felt there was too much sympathy for the bad guys. I just wanted the FBI to nail them and it just took too long to get there. these criminal kids were not sympathetic characters. and the college girls were just freaks. the narrator was the best part.

A weak story without excitement

It was hard to get through. The characters jump from police to fbi to mobster to beach girl as though each section does not remember what happened not long before.
The protagonists somehow do extraordinary things without hints they had any skills and the finale is textbook what not to do when you are surrounded

Hidden Treasure

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

A good read with some great unexpected twists and turns. The story started strong and stayed the course. Good narration.

What other book might you compare The Professionals to and why?

Not sure just yet.

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

The voice of the characters are clear and concise in the reader's mind.

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

I could have for sure.

Excellent start to a new series

Owen Laukkanen’s has an excellent first installment in his new series. Kept me guessing how it would end.

Captivating Story

From start to finish I could hardly put it down. I felt a closeness to each of the main characters and the story was realistic. The narrator was fantastic! Recommend this one all the way around.

Excellent Cat-and-Mouse Chase

I downloaded the book to keep me busy on a long drive. I got to the hotel late, should have gone to bed immediately since I had to be up and alert early the next morning....but I could not stop listening till it ended. I thought the story was great -- if, of course, a tad unbelievable. Both the good guys and the bad guys are portrayed as flawed, but human. And the plot twists never stop coming. Amazing debut novel. Can't wait for Mr. Laukkanen's next.

The reader is, of course, great. I first listened to him in Beautiful Ruins, where he did an astounding job (he was actually one of the main reasons I downloaded this novel). He did not disappoint. What a beautiful voice! What an amazing range! Easily my new favorite Audible reader.

Thoughly Enjoyable Debut Novel

Any additional comments?

Engaging tale with well developed plot, characterisation and suspense elevation. The dialogue was snappy and credible. I considered the narration to be first rate.

Not as good as "Criminal Enterprise"

Owen Laukkanen basically wrote the same story twice, with two different sets of characters. Seemingly ordinary people turn to crime when financially squeezed. This one doesn't work as well as "Criminal Enterprise" because the characters aren't as believable. The plot rolled right along, but I didn't roll with it.