Whack-a-Mole

John Ceepak, Book 3

By: Chris Grabenstein

Narrated by: Jeff Woodman

Length: 7 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

John Ceepak and Danny Boyle return with the hunt for a long-dormant serial killer who might be ready to strike again. An innocent discovery on the beach in Sea Haven pits Ceepak against a killer with a code just as rigid as his own. When the killer targets his next victim, the consequences becomes dire for Ceepak and Boyle. This is a game they must win.

Don't miss other adventures featuring Sea Haven's finest, including the first book in the series, Tilt-a-Whirl, and the second, Mad Mouse.

©2007 Chris Grabenstein (P)2007 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Another winner." ( Booklist)

So much fun!

Funny and geeky as always. Great narrated (applauses) but a bit more creepy mystery case than in the first two. Looking forward to continue with the fourth part. — My favorites cops right now. Ceepak is just like nobody. Love him. ...and dear Danny.

My "Go To" Series

What made the experience of listening to Whack-a-Mole the most enjoyable?

I finished books 1 & 2 and bought 3 & 4 during a sale. The John Ceepak Series is light reading with just enough mystery to keep my interest. The well drawn characters and narrator make the books so readable/listenable--the two main characters' voices sound as if they are coming from two different readers. I will definitely keep listening to this series!

A Delightful Listen

Whack A Mole by Chris Grabenstein is another in the John CeePak series. This is my fourth novel in that series in which the author tells a suspenseful tale that keeps you guessing until the end whodunnit? However, as in the other novels the reader's real pleasure comes from the quirky relationship between Danny Boyle, a newly minted cop and his hero, mentor, and idol John Ceepak. CeePak and Boyle are partners on the Sea Haven Police force, who are constantly finding murder mysteries to solve in their peaceful New Jersey seaside town with it's town natives and thousands of tourists as suspects. The author has a talent for making the reader/listener an intimate observer to all that happens. The author accomplishes this by using the second person as his primary voice and making his narrator so human.

Good listen

An entertaining partner detective story. Great narration, easy to finish, some depth to characters. Listened to books 1,2,3 and will buy more. A great form of relaxation, my beach reads.

More Fun in Sea Haven

Once again, Chris Grabenstein and Jeff Woodman have combined to create an entertaining listen. Officer Danny Boyle and his partner, John Ceepak, once again solve the case, and restore order to Sea Haven, saving the life of Ceepak's girl friend, Rita. It's a fun series, well read by Woodman, and I look forward to the many installments yet to come!

AUDIBLE 20 REVIEW SWEEPSTAKES ENTRY

Entertaining And A Delightful Distraction

Wonderful distraction from a world going mad. Definitely recommend this book and the series. Fantastic narration.

Series gets better and better

This series just keeps getting better. Although they retained the traits that make them unique and endearing, John Ceepak and Danny became more realistic in this third instalment. Ceepak is softening a little and becoming less rigid, perhaps recovering slowly from his experiences in the army, while Danny has become a full-time police officer (graduating well from the academy) and is maturing. Their relationship still has a mentoring feel but it's clear here that the two are becoming friends on a more equal footing. So many male bonding relationships depicted in fiction involve consuming large quantities of alcohol and/or treating women like objects that it's quite refreshing to see a healthy relationship depicted without these elements.

Grabenstein does a great job of lulling you into a false sense of security with respect to the pace and direction of the story before taking you in an entirely unpredictable direction. This one was so engrossing and suspense-filled I had to walk an extra 2 kilometres so I could finish listening. As a bonus, although darker in terms of subject matter than the previous two books in the series, this one is actually funnier. Danny Boyle's narrative voice is delightfully witty and it has lost its slight juvenile quality as Danny has matured.

The only thing more enjoyable than anticipating a new Ceepak and Boyle adventure being read to me by the wonderful Jeff Woodman is having my expectations exceeded. I am completely smitten by this series and there's nothing for me to do now but play all my Bruce Springsteen CDs (his lyrics inspire our two New Jersey heroes) and see how long I can wait until I listen to the fourth book in the series which is already waiting on my iPod.

fun mystery

I like mysteries of all types from the serious to the comic. I found Chris Grabenstein by accident on Audible and have enjoyed all three in the series. Whack a Mole was the best so far with a pretty good mystery that took a while to figure out and a fun set of characters. The humor mixed in with the story is enjoyable and at times very funny. Though I enjoyed the story a good deal my favorite part is the narration by Jeff Woodman who did all the Grabenstein book. He definitely is one of my favorite narrators and his portrayal of the characters is very good, and the I think he has Danny and Ceepak down to perfection. I recommend the whole series and this book in particular. I am looking forward to listening to Hell Hole.

Couldn't put it down til I finished.

These books are great fun even if the murders are gruesome. Two cops in a seaside town wearing shorts, knit shirts and ball caps, manage to nab a killer of bikini babes. John Ceepak is the hero while his young partner Danny Boyle is the hilarious and self-effacing narrator.

Good Twists

Interesting plot with good twists. Author could use some training on nautical terminology (front of boat vs. the bow)