Magic City: A Novel

I'm not much of a reviewer, but I really enjoyed this book. The plot was well done, it amazed me that one photo could bring about such tragic events. I thought the narrator did an excellent job, especially with Laughton. I could picture him as a cop in his lucid moments and in his confused state he was at times a crack up with his attitude toward Thorn and sad when he was over tired. The ending left an opening for a sequel. I will definitely look forward to more from this author.

I have been a fan of James Hall, but I found the plot and main characters impossible to like. The main character, Thorn, a hero in other books, makes boneheaded mistake after mistake. His stupid moves force you to cheer for the bad guys. You can almost hear the narrator dreading the next line when Thorn in pondering his next move. The idea of a forty year gap in the storyline is absolutely ridiculous. I will give Hall another chance, but it better be good.

The characters are very interesting and well portrayed. I was mesmerized by the story. Extremely well written, and the narrator does an excellent job. You shouldn't miss this one.

Didn't use a credit on this book, but purchased it on sale. It was about what I expected. I was intrigued by the Miami setting since I live in Florida and like books by Hiaasen and Grippando. I think the characters and plot of this story were weak. Lots of hard-to-believe situations and outcomes. I didn't like the soft-spoken narration. Given all those negatives, I still enjoyed the listen. Don't think this will make many Top Ten lists. But it shouldn't generate a plethora of "couldn't finish the listen" reviews either.

I searched diligently, I thought, for a mystery that would appeal to both my husband and myself. Magic City is Miami in 1964, home to the Liston/Clay fight and hoards of Cuban refugees fleeing Castro. The sample was enticing, however, the book was awful. We listened for over 5 hours and still could not figure out the tenuous connections between characters. The plot wandered all over. I gave up 6 1/2 long hours into this. I totally wasted a credit.

If you are not already a James W. Hall fan this book
is a wonderful place to start. Richard Allen's unique
voice truly lends magic to this twisted tale. Thorn
as Hall's main character is a Luddite, not a modern man,
but one that anyone would like to have in his corner if he needed help. He is fearless even to
the point of being a bit crazy but he will find the truth no matter what. He carries no ID but he navigates Miami like a pro though his home, his
life spirit lies in the Florida keys.

Having read all of the Thorn novels, my favorite until now was Blackwater Sound. I hope that Audible will add more of James Hall as he has some
super novels not in the Thorn series like Body Language. If you like mystery, superb characterization, and twists right up until the end enter Magic City; you won't regret it!