Reed Farrel Coleman captivates me. Moe Praeger's a wonderful character, he wanders through tight plots, the supporting cast is always interestingly di..Show More »mensional and AndyCaploe is a gifted reader. So... Why the "but"? Coleman got a tad preachy in this work. Praeger's internal monologues driven by the looseness of his cultural moorings are more than just a subplot in Redemption Street. Yeah... I understand the book's name and its metaphorical cement to the motivations which explain serious plot twists. But... but... Oy! So much guilt I don't need!

Careful... start with the earlier book in the Praeger series to understand the dark undertone of Praeger's personal culture. I did, now I'm going to find the next in the series. Hey... I told you... VERY GOOD but... The but doesn't keep me from recommending Redemption Street and the additional enjoyment of Andy Caploe's characterizations.

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This is my first venture into the Moe Prager mysteries, the third in the series of six (to date.) The protagonist, Moe Prager, is a private detective..Show More » of the "Sam Spade" genre and part-time wine merchant. Growing up in a Jewish family in New York, he married an Irish woman whose father he cannot stand, apparently for good reasons. It makes for a mixture of cultures that is typically New York. Moe is basically a good guy who cares about people, the opposite of the detached, coldly analytical detective. He is smart and has friends and relatives he likes and to whom he is committed. The plot was intricate and entertaining. I can't say how much I may have missed by starting in the middle of the series. I look forward to listening to others. The narration is acceptable, but it would have been better if Moe had a Brooklyn accent. Occasionally, a yiddish word comes into his vocabulary, but seems out of place. I will try others in the Moe Prager series. I note that some of his most recent ones have won awards, so maybe they get even better!

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I have never read or listened to a Reed Coleman book before. I was very impressed by this book. It is very well-written and much more thought provokin..Show More »g and deep than your average mystery. The character of Moe Prager is interesting and Andy Caploe does a very nice job narrating for him (though his other voices are just OK and sometimes annoying but I could overlook that). This is the 7th book in the series but I was able to enjoy it without having read any of the other books. I had a little bit of a difficult time understanding his past relationships with various characters but finally figured it out. The case he solved in the previous book was referred to several times and in enough detail that I would not want to go back and read it after this one. If you think you might want to read that book, I'd suggest doing it before reading this one. I am very glad that I stumbled upon this book. The story and writing are excellent and the performance is solid. I highly recommend it.

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