Signal 30

By: James Twerell

Narrated by: James Twerell

Winner of Readers Digest Novel of the Year Award, 2011

Signal 30, the police designation for crime scene with extreme or imminent emergency, is a riveting mystery about the intricacies of a major crime investigation filled with the terror of unpredictable and insane serial bomber.

In a quiet suburb of New Jersey, a 12-year-old-girl returns from Christmas vacation and finds an unopened gift at her front door. In the excitement and exuberance of a young child, she opens it. The early evening is shattered as the gift explodes and begins a tangled search for the person who would send this destructive present. Suddenly, other devises show up at a shopping mall in New Jersey, the Holland Tunnel in New York, and the home of the Mayor in a nearby town.

Detective Shane Murphy, senior officer with Special Case Investigations, is thrown into the maze of confusion as he attempts to sort out the facts before the perpetrator strikes again. While his personal life crumbles around him, as his wife informs him of her decision to pursue a divorce, Murphy finds assistance with the arrival of Stacy Landou, a Special Agent with Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. The case becomes more complicated when the local press begins to hound Murphy and suggests he is failing in his investigation. With Shane's career, marriage, and reputation seemingly out of control, the bomber continues to move one-step ahead of the investigation.

©2010 LW PUBLICATIONS INC (P)2012 LW PUBLICATIONS, Inc

Some of the worst narration on Audible

Would you try another book from James Twerell and/or James Twerell?

This book was unbearable to hear. I won't listen to another book by Mr. Twerell

What do you think your next listen will be?

I haven't decided yet, but it will certainly be narrated by a professional reader.

How could the performance have been better?

The author/reader chronically mispronounced words. His speech was often garbled and uneven and his affect was flat and unpleasant. He stumbled over words and the pauses in his reading were very distracting

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

I have listened to thousands of Audio books and this is one of maybe ten or twelve that I have not been able to finish. It was a waste of a credit.

Classic police mystery novel

Would you consider the audio edition of Signal 30 to be better than the print version?

The audio version provides a movie like quality to this intriguing story. Listened to it on my commute by rail and loved it.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Murphy is the embodiment of the cop who is dedicated to his job, often to the detriment of his life.

Couldn’t stop listening - lost a night of sleep!

Would you listen to Signal 30 again? Why?

Yes, loved the story. Able to visualize the characters and have a movie in my head. Twerell is a good story teller even if he is not a professional narrator. I like it when the author reads the his/her story as it seems more authentic.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Signal 30?

Can’t say or it would give away the story but the opening with the little girl was very real and caught me immediately.

Which character – as performed by James Twerell – was your favorite?

Shawn Murphy - a real depiction of a dedicated cop. Twerell must have been part of investigations sometime in his history.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Shawn found his wife and children gone

Any additional comments?

Twerell is a great writer but not professional narrator. Nevertheless, I did love his voice. Bought the book last night and stayed up way too late finishing it. It was worth the loss of sleep.