Gun Dealing

The Ryder Quartet, Book 2

De: Ian Patrick

Narrado por: Ian Patrick

This sequel to the action-packed Devil Dealing depicts the ongoing search by detectives Jeremy Ryder and Navi Pillay for the evil gangster Skhura Thabethe, dealer in stolen weapons, drugs and murder. The secondary plot shows the detectives uncovering a link between stolen weapons and the local trade in drugs. The two main plots unfold in strictly organized chronological sequence over 10 days, until a climactic ending when the two plot-lines coalesce in a spectacular confrontation between the detectives and the two main villains. Against a background of delicate emotional exchanges between victims of crime and the police, Gun Dealing, like its predecessor, explores the moral and ethical choices made by the detectives in their day-to-day confrontation with rampant and brutal crime in contemporary South Africa.

©2015 Ian Patrick (P)2015 Ian Patrick

Starts with a lyrical echo from a famous book

Would you listen to Gun Dealing again? Why?

Very apt and very relevant to the situation today, and very well written

What did you like best about this story?

I liked the way it starts with an echo of Paton's "Cry the Beloved Country". It starts off lyrically and tranquil and then it explodes into the most extraordinary action. Then it doesn't let up till the end. A well-wrought thriller. Very entertaining.

Which character – as performed by Ian Patrick – was your favorite?

Mkhize was very funny. But I like the two Afrikaner detectives Kooks and Dips.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Trace the weapons

Any additional comments?

Very good accents and very accurate about the country and its people.

Great story: needs a full cast of actors

Would you consider the audio edition of Gun Dealing to be better than the print version?

Not really. Good, but I really liked the book.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The villain, Mr Tabethe. Very evil man. Horrible. The worst kind of criminal you can imagine.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Ian Patrick?

Yes. He does it very well. But there are too many characters here for one voice, I think. He is really very good with the villain and the neutral-voice narration and the main male detectives. But he's not so good on the women characters. Should have had an actress working with him. Don't get me wrong: he's very good, but it's too much for one male voice to do all the characters.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Oh yes, I cried and I laughed. And I shuddered, too, at the villainy.

Any additional comments?

Very, very nice characters. I loved the grandmother of the twins. And the grandmother of the young murdered constable. And the Afrikaaner detectives (so sweet). Oh, yes. I should also say: I thought the studio sound was really good. I've done voice overs myself, in a studio, and the quality here is better than I have experienced myself. No popping microphones, etc. No faults at all.

A really good series

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I'd recommend this to anyone wanting real thrills and real characters in a totally exciting journey through the darkness of real crime

Who was your favorite character and why?

Jeremy Ryder is great, but I like the villain Thabethe. Well. Like him? Not in that sense.

What about Ian Patrick’s performance did you like?

Very real and in your face. I mean ear. Very intriguing voice and well articulated all the way through.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Here comes the cavalry. Good will prevail.

Any additional comments?

I liked all the books in this series, but the last two are particularly outstanding.

Different and exciting kind of police procedural

This is a different and exciting kind of police procedural. The characters are really very interesting. The villains are - well - villainous, way beyond evil. The detectives are very good at their job and very tough yet also very witty and very real. I like the Dipps and Cooks duo, and the way in which their foibles and weaknesses are exposed by the young constable who reports to them. All in all, an entertaining experience. The different dialects are to be expected, but the narrators diction is very good. I wish he had used a wider range of accents to distinguish the different characters. But very good, all round.

Audio was very good

Would you consider the audio edition of Gun Dealing to be better than the print version?

Yes. Really nice voice and accents made it even more enjoyable.

Would you be willing to try another book from Ian Patrick? Why or why not?

Sure. The action is very fast and exciting and the characters well drawn. Nice thrilling reading and listening.

Which character – as performed by Ian Patrick – was your favorite?

The villain was great. The dinner party was superb.

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

The visit of the parents of the deceased woman constable.

Any additional comments?

I read the book back a few months and only listened to this recently. It's really very good. Maybe I was harsh in giving only three stars to the book. It deserves more. It came alive in the reading.