Mister Slaughter: A Matthew Corbett Novel, Book 3

It's cliche to say that you "can't put a story down, but in the case of this series, it's absolutely true. I had never tried any McCammon before I bought "The Nightbird" but I will most likely read everything available by him from now on. I love historical mystery from all settings, but this series is special. We get to see the fallible hero grow and change, make mistakes and do amazing things. Somehow McCammon has filled the tale with non-stop action but not made it seem unbelievable. I highly recommend this series to anyone, historical fans or not!

I used all my credits for the month and now I'm chomping at the bit to read the 4th book in this series. I was not familiar with this author before starting the series, and I consider his books almost the best find of this year. If he is a new author, I can't help but wonder what he has been doing! The characterization in each of the books is outstanding. The reader forms a relationship with each character, no matter what the length of time said character is in the story. There is violence, bad violence, and parts that can turn a weak stomach, but the violence is appropriate for the time period. Mr. McCammon gives us an in-depth look at New York city as it is growing in the 1700's, still under England's rule.
One quality I most like about this and all the other books in the series is all the little mysteries in the big mystery, all interwoven in a way that kept me rivoted.

I found myself comparing the author to two very different authors: Ariana Franklin and Nelson DeMille! He appears to have Ms. Franklin's ability to weave a tale set in a long gone time period and make the reader see that time period. He definitely has Mr. DeMilles ability to keep the reader on the edge of his/her seat, sometimes feeling empathy for the "bad" guys, but eargerly awaiting the triumph of Matthew Corbett (the main protagonist)!

The narration was top notch. I was not familiar with this narrator before, but I will be looking out for other books narrated by him. His ability to give voice to the many characters is outstanding and ensures the reader "sees" the characters.

I cannot say enough about this author, well, except I do wish Audible would lower the price of his books!

Don't want to spoil anything, but I found the "through the woods" part long and tedious. Still recommend the book, as it fits with the previous books and lays groundwork for the fourth, I just didn't enjoy it as much as the first two in the series.

Like the other books in this series this one starts slow before picking up and turning into an enjoyable read. It picks up right where the last book left off and we get to enjoy Matthew Corbett's continuing journey as a budding "problem solver". Unlike the other books this one isn't so much a mystery story (until the end at least) as it is an adventure. If you are reading this for the sleuth aspect then you may be disappointed but if you are reading because you enjoyed the characters and ongoing story line then you will like it. It's an adventure more than a mystery.

Toward the end it gets a little bit fantastical as too many things appeared to intersect for my taste. One of the strengths of the first two books to me was that they painted a generally believable cast of characters. The characters are still true but the story takes certain turns that feel forced. Having said that I will absolutely be downloading the fourth book shortly and am hoping for more - provided the installment #4 doesn't go too far.

The top. Seriously. This was that good.

The only thing that even remotely compares is "The Alienist," by Caleb Carr, which similarly places a "modern" kind of criminal investigation in a vividly detailed past.

Edoardo Ballerini is a gosh-danged genius of audiobook narration.

YES. The WHOLE THING. This book was so exciting, so fast-paced, thrilling, scary, frustrating, baffling, disgusting, horrifying, tragic, hilarious, clever, and flat-out fun, I hated to stop listening. This is my favorite of this series and I was pretty much ready to start it over as soon as I finished it.

This book was a little odd after the totally "five star" first two books in the series. The majority of the book didn't have a mystery for Matthew Corbett to figure out - it was suspense all the way.

Did it work as suspense? Absolutely. But I skipped ahead in places, which I couldn't do with the others because I might miss a clue, secure that I wouldn't lose the thread of the plot at all. I found myself wondering if maybe there was a tight deadline or something so the same care could not be put into the mystery for Matthew to solve. I also thought the resolution to the "Zed" storyline was baffling.

I'm in the fourth book now, so my reaction to this book didn't put me off the series. But I'm hoping for a return to the form of Speaks the Nightingale and Queen of Bedlam. Fingers crossed.

I like Robert McCammon to begging with, but I am especially fond of his Matthew Corbet books. He transports us back to a time in U.S. history that we don't learn about in school books. The daily lives of the citizens in the early 1700's was much different than our own. And, in addition, these books suck you into the story and their adventure. I would recommend any of them.

Yes! Mr. Slaughter is one of the best books I have ever listened to. Even though it is set in the 19th century, it is as entertaining as any 21st century thriller. There is tenderness by strangers, stealth by a young man and his companion and slaughter by a creature you could only call the embodiment of evil.. There is tenacity and triumph. You are missing out if your don''t listen to this book,.

Speaks the Night Bird. It is by the same author and carries you on an adventure that is unrelenting.

Excellence..

Mr Corbett is human and has flaws. His decisions have consequences. This is nicely presented in this story. Too many heroes do not display failings, and their consequences. In previous books, Mr Corbett's choices were always correct, heroic, and had good outcomes. It really endears him to me to watch him go through his acts of redemption. Slaughter, is indeed a villain. The historicity of the family on the frontier is so vividly portrayed along with their character strengths and the hazards they faced. Surprising twists and betrayals toward the end. I like this series.

I didn't enjoy the story as much as I enjoyed the stories in "Speaks the Nightbird" and "The Queen of Bedlam." In this installment, our protagonist and his mentor bite off more than they can chew with a seemingly mundane job gone badly awry and events turn macabre and unpalatable in a hurry. There is more action and less dialogue in this installment than the previous two. I enjoy Matthew's interrogations, so I missed the dialogue.

The narration by Edoardo Ballerini continues to be spot on.