The Return

A Novel

By: Michael Gruber

Narrated by: Jonathan Davis

Length: 17 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

Lauded as his number-one favorite book of the year, Stephen King advised President Obama, in the pages of Entertainment Weekly, to pick up Michael Gruber’s previous book, The Good Son. With an unforgettable hero, The Return is as exciting and provocative as Gruber’s best work.

The real Richard Marder would shock his acquaintances, if they ever met him. Even his wife, long dead, didn’t know the real man behind the calm, cultured mask he presents to the world. Only an old army buddy from Vietnam, Patrick Skelly, knows what Marder is capable of. Then, a shattering piece of news awakens Marder’s buried desire for vengeance. With nothing left to lose, he sets off to punish the people whose actions changed his life years earlier. Skelly shows up uninvited, and the two of them together raise the stakes far beyond anything Marder could have envisioned.

As Marder and Skelly head toward an apocalypse of their own making, Marder learns that good motives and a sense of justice can’t always protect the people a man loves. With a range of fearsomely real characters, from a brutally violent crime lord to a daringly courageous young woman, a roller coaster of twists and turns, and a shattering exploration of what constitutes morality in the face of evil, Michael Gruber has once more proven that he is “a gifted and natural storyteller” (Chicago Tribune), and shows why he has been called “the Stephen King of crime writing” (Denver Post).

©2013 Michael Gruber (P)2013 Blackstone Audio

Excellent Story

Excellent Story and Reading. Narration was very good, story line very plausible. Hope to read more from this author

not as good as Gruber's earlier books

I've liked the earlier books enough to listen to them again, all of them, but this one is just a little too far out. If he does another book, I'll try it, but I was disappointed in this one.

after a slow start, I was captured by this story

I almost didn't finish listening to the story because it started out a bit slowly, but I'm very glad that I did. the narration is great and the story really grabbed me after the first few chapters. I didn't want it to end, and I couldn't stop listening. a great find!

Immature

It was like adult fairytale. Read by an extremely talented narrator. The ending was weak and not satisfying in anyway. The story would have benefited by some serious editing, and at least six hours removed. 

A complex story of love, friendship, revenge and narco-violence in Mexico

This is now one of my top 5 books it is a complex story with many threads weaved through it that don't come out until it's very end. the characters are great and have depth. the narrator does an awesome job in both languages. Please give it a try you will not regret it at all.

17 Hrs of A Great Voice

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

No. This was too long for me and my first of this author. I did not give up on this listen as I love the reader and had purchased this author due to J.D. reading this book.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Good outline, but a good editor would have cut down at lease 4 hrs of material. It was like listening to someone's diary. Yes, it had some wonderful parts, but at hour 13, I said enough already but refused to quit listening as reviewers said don't give up. Yes, this had a good ending and the story line was good, but I would never re listen to this long story.

What about Jonathan Davis’s performance did you like?

Everything! which was the reason I purchased this author. I love him in Sandra Brown's Mean Streak, a mystery/romance

Do you think The Return needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

The on going saga could be continued and developed as author has a good story to tell.

Marvelous story

I'm usually very picky about my fiction. Truth is, this is not great literature, the plot is far-fetched (but plausible), and the characters are a bit over the top. And yet . . . It sucked me in, made me believe, and drew me back to listen to it all the way through a second time, with undiminished pleasure.

A good story well told

This was an enjoyable romp through Mexico, with a different view that made it interesting. while I wasn't too taken with the ending, it didn't detract from the overall tone. It was well read and I certainly would listen to the reader again.

All Time Favorite

What did you love best about The Return?

The fully developed characters. You grow to love or hate every one of them. You know who they are, how they feel, what they want.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Skelly, because you're never really sure about him.

Which scene was your favorite?

It's impossible to choose. The whole book is captivating.

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

The story of a Viet Nam veteran trying to honor his love for his wife by bringing justice and freedom to the country she loved so much.

Any additional comments?

I don't write many reviews, but I had to do it for this book. It starts out slow, getting you to know the people in the story so clearly that you have to know what happens to them, even though it might not turn out the way you hope. It's truly one of the best books I've listened to in a very long time.

Very Enjoyable!

Okay, suspend disbelief a little and prepare to enjoy! This fast moving story takes us to Mexico, has a big cast of characters and a lot of action. The narrator was terrific. I enjoyed it all and found myself looking for more by this author.