Clean

A Mindspace Investigations Novel, Book 1

By: Alex Hughes

Narrated by: Daniel May

Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

A ruthless killer - out of sight, out of mind

I used to work for the Telepath’s Guild before they kicked me out for a drug habit that wasn’t entirely my fault. Now I work for the cops, helping Homicide Detective Isabella Cherabino put killers behind bars.

My ability to get inside the twisted minds of suspects makes me the best interrogator in the department. But the normals keep me on a short leash. When the Tech Wars ripped the world apart, the Guild stepped up to save it. But they had to get scary to do it - real scary.

Now the cops don’t trust the telepaths, the Guild doesn’t trust me, a serial killer is stalking the city - and I’m aching for a fix. But I need to solve this case. Fast. I’ve just had a vision of the future: I’m the next to die.

©2012 Alexandra Hughes (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Enjoyed this - but....

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

The performance was very solid except for the fact that All the women sounded high pitched and breathy, which made these very strong, well rounded characters seem either weak or annoying - or both.

What can you see in Mind-space?

Bought the title on sale and enjoyed the narrator and the narrative. Adam is a junkie and spends a fair bit of time resisting the siren call of his drug which happens just enough to empathise with his guilt and his pain. The narrator has the right voice for the character and makes it work well for the narrative. Plenty of strong female characters, and the story crackles along at great pace. Told in a non-linear style many of the reasons for Adam's thoughts and actions don't become clear until well into the story. I like that in an author, making a reader think and wait a while. Dresden Files fans may enjoy this entry in the genre.

I Really Liked It....

Would you listen to Clean again? Why?

Probably not again, but I will listen to the next 2 books in the series.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Clean?

I would say at the end, the way the book was tied together. Poignant and clever.

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

Fantastic job. He captures the regret of the main character without making you feel sorry for him. This book was surprising to me. It is part film noir, part X Files but it does not feel derivative. It feels familiar, enjoyable and the characters feel like new characters. It is dark but the crime scenes are not gruesome or uncomfortable. The author hit just the right notes and I look forward to the next 2 books.

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

I rarely do that but I did find myself listening to it when I usually don't listen to books. This indicates that I was involved an entertained.

Any additional comments?

I am not someone who listens to crime or paranormal books. I am a Sci Fi fan, but I thought I would try something new. I am glad I did. The characters are great, which is ultimately what makes any book worthwhile for me. I found myself invested in the characters, the story was interesting and the narrator was fantastic.

Good , but not great

What I liked:
5 stars for the flawed main character. I really liked who this person was. So many fantasy/sci fi stories go into invincible superman territory. I liked that this guy was human.

What I didn't like.
Predictable story. Common. Anyone that didn't know exactly how this would end 1/4 of the way through just wasn't paying attention.

Bad editing. Oy Vey! Someone should have worked on chopping out 90% of the drug addiction angst. It got old and repetitive. I like that the character was struggling with it. Its just that there was way way way way too much of it.

Dude feeling like an outsider and feeling sorry for himself. Enough self pity already.

Flawed telepath makes amends

This is a fun series. The main character Adam is a former drug addict now clean who works as a police consultant. He uses his telepathic abilities to solve crimes. Poor Adam is constantly stuck in the middle between 2 worlds, the normals and the Guild ( an organization for people with extraordinary abilities.) Constantly under pressure, fighting both sides and trying to make a difference makes Adams life crazy and challenging. His one bright spot is his relationship with his female detective partner. She is either relying on him or sucker punching him. One thing is for sure. Adam's life is never dull.

I don't like it, but I love it

I don't like the main character in this book. He's constantly thinking about how he's guilty of things no normal person would consider in terms of guilt. He constantly says he doesn't do particular things, then he does them. He's a pathetic self-involved loser. He says he used to be an idealist, which got him kicked out of the Guild (for telepaths etc) but never explains what happened, and even if it was true, he was probably one of the narcissistic kind who are constantly annoying. But then, he's a drug addict, currently clean although not entirely by choice, so these things come together to make some sort of sense.

I don't like the cops he works with. They treat him like he's not a human being, and never give him a fair break. On the other hand, see above. And add to it that he's a telepath and as the book constantly assures us, normal people don't like and indeed fear telepaths. Plus, as a former government bureaucrat myself, I have to say that the boss cops' overriding bureaucratic concerns ring true.

I don't like his love interest. She's a physically violent bully. Even after six years, she hasn't worked her way out of the emotional depths resulting from the death of her husband. it's not clear to me what he sees in her. On the other hand, see above. He might subconsciously be looking for punishment. He pretty much gets what he deserves.

Now, having said that, I love the setting. A telepath working with the police in a future after a war which normals and telepaths won against some kind of attempted takeover by artificial intelligence mechanisms apparently allied with technocrats. The storyline is interesting.

The performance is well done.

I've given this four stars across the board. At the current $3.95, this is certainly worth trying out. (I save my fives for situations where I want to grab you by the lapels and insist you take a listen.) Four stars means I'm glad to have listened, and I'm going back for more.

Imaginative and interesting start to a series!

I'm a big fan of the urban fantasy genre; favorites include Dresden, Sandman Slim, Bobby Dollar, and the Ex-Heroes series.I understand this is a first novel by a young author, and it's a VERY strong start!
All urban fantasy series tend to have their tropes (some might say cliches); good ones work within the tropes and create strong, sympathetic characters, use language in inventive ways, build worlds with imagination, and have compelling stories that hold the reader's interest. Additionally, the best ones provoke the reader's thoughts about aspects of the human condition that go beyond a mere adventure or whodunit. CLEAN accomplishes all these things well. The lead character is a flawed hero with an interesting backstory, who struggles with addiction in a real and understandable way, while going about doing what all urban fantasy hero/ines do, fighting on the side of good.
The author has peopled this story with other main and supporting characters who are well fleshed out, and the narrator has done a wonderful job of providing each with a distinctive sound. There's also much to intrigue the listener in the way the author slowly builds the setting of a future in which society has had to react to technology and environmental mis-use. There are some imaginative and well thought out ideas and concepts here, which I look forward to seeing teased out further as the series progresses.
I wholeheartedly recommend CLEAN to sci-fi and urban fantasy fans. Me, I'm plunging into the next book tonight!

Predictable but entertaining

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

I always consider audio better. I am not cool enough to drive and read.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Clean?

Maybe not memorable moment, but I liked the concept of the Tech Wars. This was new and different. I sure it will be expanded in later books.

What about Daniel May’s performance did you like?

He has a nice voice. Needs to work on making females not sound like heavy smokers.

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

No...just a good read.

Interesting World. Disappointing Characters.

What disappointed you about Clean?

Isabella Cherabino just seems incompetent and extremely inconsistent. I don't understand how she is a homicide detective. She makes way to many mistakes missing major clues, failing to canvas large enough area, getting good info from witnesses, anger management issues, and investigating by herself a probably location of the perp without proper backup. Her relationship between the protagonist and her is inconsistent, and never explained where their trust of each other comes from. The only thing she seems good at is punching people.She is just such a weak character compared to Murphy from Dresden Files, Kate Beckett in Castle, or Bones from well Bones.

What could Alex Hughes have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Make Isabella be more competent at her job, and more developed character. She doesn't add to the team except for being a badge for the main character, and a damsel in distress.

What aspect of Daniel May’s performance would you have changed?

Male voices are good. Female voices vary from poor to decent.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

The setting is great. The main character is great. Support characters are okay.

A good book, a compelling narration

Any additional comments?

Daniel May made it possible for me to be swept by the story. I'll make sure to listen to the next book, even though UF isn't my favourite kind of fantasy. May made me live inside Adam's head : really uncomfortable but interesting! I do hope the audio version of the third book will be published.