Those in Peril

I am a big fan of Wilbur Smith's books, and have all of his published works. This by far is the most disappointing book I have listened too. Characters are ridiculous and unbelievable, the story line while interesting is predictable and I have had to fast forward through all the sex scenes, which are far too graphical as far as I am concerned.

I had to keep listening despite the horrid sound of the womens' voices. I just could not believe how lame and insipid the characters and plot were. At least I got some satisfaction when the most irritating character (and voice) was killed off. At best this is a comic book. Not sure what the effusive reviewers were smoking while listening. The chapter that was available as a free preview was far better than anything that followed.

Rupert Degas was nothing short of amazing. Best performance of an audio book I've ever heard. His acting skills are unmatched, his dialects flawless and his gender distinctions totally believable. Really stunning.

I've read everything from this author and can recommend him without reserve. Don't however, start with Those in Peril. It may give the impression Smith novels are given to liberal portions of sex and violence, which they are not. A little, yes, but not to this degree.

Smith is a master of dialog and characterization. Everyone has their own voice and personality and are helped along in no small part by Degas' talent. But Smith tends to kill some of his best people off, which is kind of distressing, so I try not to get too attached to any one character if i can help it. I thought the shark fin soup was a bit over the top and was a little put-off by the African aristocracy. But, as always, Smith's vision of the world along with his ability to paint the picture in my imagination are wonderful.

The 'erotic' parts (when questioned in an interview about the pornographic elements of the novel, Smith preferred to use this word to describe the sexual encounters) of the novel were a little weird knowing that they came from the fertile mind of a man nearing 80. I wouldn't want my kids reading this until they were about 40. Intensely graphic and surprising.

It was fortunate that Degas was chosen to animate this story. IMO it is the weakest story Smith has ever turned out. When added to some of the questionable content (sex and violence that at times seemed gratuitous), had it not been so beautifully narrated, i would have been disappointed.

Wow - I felt like I was 15 again - sex so fast I didn't get a chance to enjoy it... Don't get me wrong, I like the added sexual tension Smith typically provides. It has a place. But so early in the book, no real build-up to the event, just raw, very descriptive sex. Smith's descriptions of the acts are very real, making it difficult to drive and listen. As for the main character, a supposed strong women who men fear. But a down right wimp, whiny, flacid personality when it comes to here daughter. She crys and whines like a teenager when she should be even stronger. Maybe later in the book she'll improve. I'm only a few hours into the book and plan to continue listening. Got to hope ol' Wilber pulls this one off in the end.

I love Wilbur Smith. I have been reading him for years. This offering has more ugly sex than I care for but I still enjoyed the story and characters. My biggest complaint is against Rupert Degas' attempt at a young woman's voice. It almost made me give up on the audio. Mr. Degas, make sure any future books you narrate have only male characters.

I have enjoyed many of Wilbur Smith's books. This one is a long way from his best.

The writing it just good enough to keep you listening but the characters, dialog and events fail to come together in a compelling way. Some of the content is horrific and the sex scenes are way too detailed. I think most I found most frustrating was the bizarre reactions of the characters to horrific life events.

One of the characters is kidnapped and attacked by a gang of men, an event that would destroy the lives of many and has to lead to abrupt personality changes, but a few chapters later she is acting as if nothing happened. The attack has about the same impact on her as an unpleasant trip to the dentist.

I couldn't help but think that the first draft of this book accidentally got published. All the Wilbur Smith elements are there, and some of the scenes are great but it just doesn't come together as a cohesive whole.

Rupert Degas' narration is very very good - he does an excellent job with characterization and in building suspense as the hours go by.

Not worth a credit - there are many better things to listen to from Audible.

Don't think so

Story was good, until the sex scene -

Extremely graphic sex scene near the beginning. Decided not to listen to the rest. Enjoyed the book up to that point. Disappointed and wish there was some kind of "heads up" for potential listeners.

No, I would not relisten to Those in Peril again because it is a light-weight fiction that is pure entertainment and not compelling enough to relive. It is a fairly long audio book and it runs the key characters through a memorable set of threats, challenges, etc. Maybe because the story was so vivid, I don't need a refresh.

Well, yes, I guess. I pretty much knew where this would all end; like all of us readers of thrillers we know that at least some of the good folks will make it. The question was how it would all resolve itself. This book is very much like a Ted Hall book with the pirate, Hawke, a modern security agent for hire. It shares the same English hero-type and somewhat corny bravado. This puts you in very good company in the thriller ranks.

I liked it a lot. In fairness, there is a very whiney character that was voiced very annoying. The accents seemed authentic and the tone of the voices on. I would say that the protagonist is given lines that seem somewhat wry, James Bond-like, so if that is your thing, you will find his sardonic approach to peril as entertaining.

No, no extreme reaction. It was just a good race through a plot and I enjoyed the action. It is very heavy on mayhem; which I like!

I want to call out some of the reviews that said this was not up to speed or great literature. I have read (paper-based) a large number of the author's works and find them compelling but not particularly realistic and sometimes a little plodding. These thriller/action works literally are what they are. It is entertainment. Frankly, I find some of Wilbur Smith's other works a little dry. This had action in Technicolor and some steamy romance...not all bad in a thriller. I recommend this for fun, not for intellectual enlightenment.

I have been a long time fan of Wilbur Smith. After seeing this title, it was without debate that Those In Peril would be my first choice as a new Audible customer. I was not disappointed. Great listen.

Graphic Sex Scenes.

WISH I COULD GET MY CREDIT BACK! The preview was great. It sunk down low from that point on. Wilbur Smith usually uses his story line and characters to entertain; not in this case. The sex & violence was over the top. I bought it without checking the reviews.

I would have walked out if this were a movie. GOOD thriller/action stories rely on characters and story line not trash.