The Survivor

I really loved this book, Scott Brick is the best Narrator, he can bring a story to life however no matter how gifted he is in his narration he cannot make a bad story good, in this case he didn't have to attempt it, excellent story, excellent narrator, perfect marraige of both! Worth a credit and then some!

"The Survivor" is one of those rare books that truly affects the reader. This is more than your typical thriller - the characters draw you in; the story visceral and horrifying, and Scott Brick's narration is, as always, spot on.

I listen to thrillers for pure entertainment and escape, so I wasn't prepared for the emotions brought up by "The Survivor." Hurwitz managed to touch my nerves to such an extent that, at times, I had to stop listening in order to recover from the horrible images he planted in my imagination.

Be prepared to be terrified. This is no ordinary book.

This was a thrill ride from the opening, setting the scene at 100 miles an hour. Then Hurwitz eases off the accelerator and backs us up to meet the characters and really know who we are dealing with. It works. I was quickly invested in both the action and the relationships, including those with the bad guys. Oh and they are really bad - the danger meter well into the red.

As with most action thrillers, there is at least some need to suspend disbelief and just roll with it, and that's true in this story too. Overall I think it was handled well, but the one weak link was the daughter's obstinancy and, in one case, impulsive behavior in the face of proven danger, that only heightened the peril to herself and her parents. I had a hard time believing that any adolescent in these circumstances would take it on herself to pull the stunt she did, but it was a device to move the story to its next level, so once I stopped rolling my eyes I just jumped back on the ride and kept going. However, it did remove one star from the story. In spite of that weakness, when assessing the overall rating I still give it a 5. I just couldn't put it down and listened well into the night to get to the end, a conclusion that matched the opening.

I couldn't put this book down once I started it. There were a lot of twists and turns that kept you eager to read more - and prevented the book from being predictable!

If you're wondering whether it's worth a credit - It Certainly Is and you won't regret it.

This is one of those books that I'll read again in time.

My husband (who only reads nonfiction) and I are currently listening to The Survivor. We take trips in our car, and dream up places to go, just to listen to this book. It's outstanding!!

On the first page and doesn't let go. We are drawn in from the moment our hero climbs on the ledge to jump, and suddenly we're hip-deep in Ukranian bad guys who sound like a chorus of Boris Badenovs and enough plot twists to make us dizzy. You could bring your critical eye here and find many Oh Please moments, but it's much more fun to just go with it and enjoy the ride.

First time author for me, suggested by audible. An ill, depressed ex-soldier suffering from PTSD in Afghanistan gets in trouble with the Ukranian mafia in LA. If you can believe it, the Ukranian mafia is worse than the Russian mafia, which means they're very bad! This story is how he works through it all. Sometimes it seemed a bit implausible but, hey, it was entertaining. If you like this genre then you'd like this story.

I have listened to a lot of Gregg Hurwitz's books. I totally adored Crime Writer when I heard it. As the years have passed and Scott Brick has been chosen over and over as narrator, I am getting warn out. The plot is relatively predictable - kind of a Hurwitz formula. The drama.in.every.sentence.....added by Brick. is exhausting to listen to. There is no climax because every third sentence IS a climax.
I had to suspend my disbelief more than I do with other writers such as Connelly, Laura Lippman, Jeffrey Deaver and David Rosenfelt. That got old too. I think I would skip the next Hurwitz book, especially if Brick narrates that one.
This book is not impossible to listen to, just not as good as others or older Hurwitz books.

When I read the summary I wondered if this was going to be like Die Hard, which wouldn't be bad. But no, this is much more complicated.

The mystery and suspense not withstanding, Hurwitz spins a desperate drama of a man suffering from LDS, even more so from PTSD. It is a story of reconciliation and redemption.

The mystery is why the hero is hunted. The suspense comes in so many parts I cannot think of how to describe it. There is so much suspense I grew a bit weary at times, but no way I was quitting on this book.

An interesting note, Hurwitz uses a ghost to portray the hero's conscience in clever way. He then introduces a living shadow of the ghost in the form of the daughter's boyfriend.

Thank goodness for Scott Brick. I've listened to too many narrators without that ZING. The book kept me up too late since I had to know what came next. It's a crazy story, different from what I've listened to in the last several months.

I don't do book reports but I would suggest giving this a try.