Blind Fall

De: Christopher Rice

Narrado por: Frederick Weller

From three-time New York Times best-selling author Christopher Rice - whose novels have been called "bold and ambitious" by The New York Times, "chillingly perverse" by USA Today, and "shocking, sexy...intricate" by Glamour - comes this startling psychological thriller about an Iraq War vet who seeks redemption and revenge when a fellow Marine he failed to protect during the war is brutally murdered.

John Houck became a Marine to become a hero. But his life changed when he failed to notice an explosive device that ended up maiming the captain of his Force Recon Company, a respected Marine who nearly sacrificed himself to save John's life.

Home from Iraq, John pays a visit to his former captain, only to discover the captain has been gruesomely murdered. John pursues a strange man he sees running from the scene, but he discovers that Alex Martin is not the murderer. Alex is, in fact, the former captain's secret male lover and the killer's intended next victim.

When it becomes clear that local law enforcement has direct connections to the murder itself, John realizes that to repay his debt of honor, he must teach Alex Martin how to protect himself, even if that means teaching Alex to kill. In the process, John confronts the painful truth about the younger brother he was unable to protect and the older sister he always felt he failed.

Blind Fall is a story of honor and integrity, of turning failure into victory. It is a stunning departure for Christopher Rice: the story of two men, one a Marine, one gay, who must unite to avenge the death of the man they both loved - one as a brother-in-arms, one as a lover - and to survive.

©2008 Christopher Rice (P)2008 Simon and Schuster Inc.

Blind Fall

I really like the book, keeps you on your toes, but as with all of C. Rice's recorded books, I really dislike the reader - he is so dull and almost monotonal. But get past that and enjoy the book.

Much more

Twists and turns in every chapter. You think you know where this story is headed, and wham; you are on a completely different track within minutes. Engaging.

Good Read

I would give 5 stars if the first part of the book wasn't so hard to follow (which may be due to my own shortcomings). Many twists and turns make this book a very good read.

Great Read and Perfect Narration

I have been following Christopher Rice’s career for a long time and can say that I am proud of the progress he has made as a writer. Not many people would be brave or bold enough to tackle the intensity of emotions behind the broad spectrum of characters represented here. This is predominantly a suspense novel, but it also covers explorations in mental disease such as ptsd and it explores the damage we humans can due to each other with prejudice and assumption! There is plenty of homophobia and internalized homophobia as well as other prejudices to go around! Conquering them is a continuous and arduous task that never ends in anyone’s lifetime! There are several losers in this of course, but the winners do not come out undamaged or looking like perfect saints either! They came off as real and legitimate people. Christopher gave some wonderful character development and really got me invested in those characters. I finished listening on an elevated platform in Chicago with tears in my eyes!

Fred Weller had the perfect voice to narrate as John, the marine, in whose voice this tale is told. It did take me back a bit to Fred’s role as US Marshal Marshall Mann in In Plain Sight. And that same voice worked beautifully here! The diction is perfect and I could listen easily anywhere, whether at home or out urban hiking! Fred gets all the intonation and understands the context of each sentence or phrase providing excellent nuances to let us constantly know what is happening! Super job!

If I were Straight...

If I were straight i wonder if I would have enjoyd this as much as I did. I do digree about the reader. I found him nicely gritty as the protagonist. An interesting investigation of gay/straight interaction.

Craftsman

A major condition of a successful suspense novel is that it is a page-turner. This book is a good example. Rice takes the reader/listener almost immediately to that disquieting place where what-happens-next is a priority. He sometimes tests our willingness to believe his story's plot but always manages to avoid crossing that line (learned from his mother?). The voice of the reader is particularly appropriate here. This is the second of his books I've heard, and now I will pursue all others.

Good story. Good narration.

Classic Christopher Rice storytelling. Miscommunication, misdirection, and misunderstanding drive angst fueled characters into compromising situations.

I do enjoy Rice's books despite the overwhelming melodrama. The dramatic storytelling is also cinematic. The plot might seem over the top, but I have watched equally dramatic events occur in real life. People really do create their own drama, and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this one.

Sub-par Rice

I've always enjoyed Christopher Rice's books, but Blind Fall falls short of his usual output. The characters were well done and the reading brought them fully to life, but the plot left a lot to be desired. In several places the believability factor was stretched WAY too thin! Blind Fall was a nice try at a departure for Rice, but ultimately disappoints.