Polaris: An Alex Benedict Novel

It takes about an hour into the book before all of the pieces come together but Jack McDevitt sure knows how to write a gripping story

Kind of like a Magnum PI episode: not incredibly deep but entertaining...

Every book usually has a boring moment during which you just skim.

I am yet to find one in this series.

There are very few books that I am willing to listen to over and over again. Jennifer van Dyck's reading has made this series so immersive that I feel like I am living in that time period. I can even relate to the background characters. Now I actively seek out titles where she is a reader.

I wish there were more than 6 titles in the series.

At some point in the story everything starts to get a little predictable. I guess this is because I have read so many sci fi titles but, I still rate the story high.

If you are looking for a title (or a series for that matter) that will engage you for a few days, this series is perfect.

I've listened to all the Chase Kolpath/Alex Benedict novels. I like the point of view and the character buildout. The narrator has offbeat intonation, but the wry humor of the character comes through well. Not a deep mindbender, but a fun mystery romp with unlikely heroes.

McDevitt creates an enjoyable futuristic environment with likeable characters and an interesting and compelling plot.

This was my first and probably last McDevitt novel. Can't recommend this on any front: not enough science for the sci-fi crowd, a boring mystery that will leave mystery lovers unsatisfied, so slow moving that there isn't any tension or suspense for those who favor thrillers.

The secret that the main characters are trying to uncover has a scientific bent, but otherwise any science fiction elements are only trappings on a worn out "ghost ship" mystery. The hero and heroine aren't particularly clever (getting caught by the same trick twice) and MUCH slower than the reader/listener to grasp the nature of the mystery. I skipped the last 2.5 hours of the first section, and when I picked it up on part 2, the characters were just beginning to understand what was going on, which was obvious at the point I'd stopped listening in Part 1. So glad I didn't suffer through the needless "development." Way too much detail on things that have nothing to do with the plot.

Liked the narrator's voice, but she remains calm and soothing even during the scenes that came closest to being cliffhanger moments. She needed more animation.

Not as good as the first in the series, but not a bad listen all the same.