Where It Hurts

The Gus Murphy Series, Book 1

By: Reed Farrel Coleman

Narrated by: Chris Andrew Ciulla

Length: 10 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

From award-winning New York Times best-selling author Reed Farrel Coleman comes a gritty, atmospheric new series about the other side of Long Island, far from the wealth of the Hamptons, where real people live - and die.

Gus Murphy thought he had the world all figured out. A retired Suffolk County cop, he had everything a man could want: a great marriage, two kids, a nice house, and the rest of his life ahead of him. But when tragedy strikes, his life is thrown into complete disarray. In the course of a single deadly moment, his family is blown apart, and Gus is transformed from a man who believes he understands everything into a man who understands nothing.

Divorced and working as a courtesy van driver for the run-down hotel in which he has a room, Gus has settled into a mindless, soulless routine that barely keeps his grief at arm's length. But his comfortable waking trance comes to an end when ex-con Tommy Delcamino comes to him for help. Four months earlier, TJ Delcamino's battered body was discovered in a wooded lot, yet the police don't seem interested in pursuing the killers. In desperation, Tommy seeks out the only cop he ever trusted: Gus Murphy.

Gus reluctantly agrees to see what he can uncover. As he begins to sweep away the layers of dust that have collected over the case during the intervening months, Gus finds that Delcamino is telling the truth. It seems that everyone involved with the late TJ Delcamino - from his best friend to his girlfriend, from a gang enforcer to a mafia capo and even the police - has something to hide, and all are willing to go to extreme lengths to hide it. Gus has taken on a dangerous favor as he claws his way back to take a place among the living, all while searching through the sewers for a killer.

©2016 Reed F. Coleman, Inc. (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Compelling and Exciting!

This intricate mystery with fully formed intriguing characters and great atmosphere and place descriptions, was a terrific read. I couldn’t put it aside. Crime, detection, love, passion, loyalty, betrayal and devotion, plus the best narrative performance I’ve ever heard, what’s not to like!

Enjoyed the book.

Just kinda slow easy read. It was a good story. Would recommend to others.

Intense and complex with some surprises

Thjs one will keep you interested and keep you listening, long after you are tired and want to sleep.

However, for me the big detractors is the language (i.e. profanity). Yah people in stress or fear or from habit or from lack of vocabulary speak like that. Just a warning.

For me the story could have been even better without all the use of “f”, “s”, “J”,and “C”.

Except for that I’d have given it straight five stars

Very Good Story

A former cop who is doing detective work, but is not super smart so he has to keep on trucking. I enjoyed this book

Absolutely LOVED this book!

First book I’ve read by this author and loved it! First, the narration is incredible - off the charts. The story line is very complex - just how I like my crime/mystery novels. And the characters - so much depth and development throughout. The writing is top notch across the board, too. This was a book I really couldn’t put down.

Though unsure at first…

I wasn’t too sure about this book initially, but it grew on me. There are definitely twists and turns that I did not see coming until they were right there… Pretty neat. I’m actually surprised that this book came out in 2016… I may have to look for others. (Maybe 4.5/5.0 instead.)

Good listen

Good book. The investigation was a little slow to develop, but the story and characters were great!

Good story

Good plot and story line. Characters were not over explained but kept the pace humming. Appreciated the voice of the narrator.

good book

A pretty good book especially halfway thru til the end . narrator was very good .

A little offensive

I’m enjoying the story so far but to be honest the black people who are supposed to be from modern day Long Island are made to sound like early 1900s uneducated sharecroppers from Mississippi… Not cool! No modern day black people from up north sounds or speaks like that!