Edgar

What a pity!

Reviewed: 08-01-18

I remember reading and enjoying this novel when it was first published, so much so that I've checked from time to time to see if Audible had produced an audiobook version. I liked the story once again, but found myself constantly having to struggle through because of Michael Pritchard's narration.

To begin with, he has a sharp tenor voice (which I don't care for) marred further by nasal delivery. Worst of all, however, the narration lacks even a semblance of vigor. If any book (and writer) needs engagement with the characters and action, this is it. Consequently Wolfe's breakneck-speed writing is mired in a slow, ponderous vocal style. Finally, there are noticeable -- and annoying -- inconsistencies in audio quality, signified by variations in voice tone and volume, which have to be attributed to inadequate attention to recording levels and/or to poor editing.

Overall, an enjoyable novel but a disappointing audiobook.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Disappointing

Reviewed: 06-25-18

I've listened to all of the available audiobooks in this series, which I've very much enjoyed.... until this one. Aspects of the interactions between characters veer dangerously close to the "cosy" stereotype -- which of course is a matter of taste, and other readers might disagree. What mars this book is the over-reliance on coincidences and chance. One's disbelief is stretched too far. Gerard Doyle does his usual excellent job of narration, but unfortunately has to work with sub-par material.

A very short review

Reviewed: 04-25-18

This is a classic which I read as a young academic when the book was first published. It's been interesting to compare my young assessment with my more sharply-developed perceptions. Clearly the story, together with its structure and (especially) the dialogue, stands up remarkably well and is an entertaining and provocative read. I also wanted to note the outstanding narration, putting it into the top five narrations for my (so far) 1300 books.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

End of the story?

Reviewed: 02-24-18

After a rather slow start, the book develops into a gripping and fitting completion of the trilogy. Although the books can stand alone, I recommend that the three books be read in sequence -- together they represent some of the best fifty hours of listening I've experienced in the last five years.

4 of 5 people found this review helpful

Parody?

Reviewed: 01-29-18

This book reads like a parody -- and a bad one at that. It's a superficial story based on shallow characterization and a series of loosely arranged and dubious, unpersuasive incidents that bear only the remotest resemblance to a plot. The dialogue is throughly unbelievable, and the third-rate narrator seems to have been chosen with the aim of confusing any semblance of logic that might vaguely have been hatching in the writer's mind. This emperor definitely has no clothes. This story makes less sense than one of Donald Trump's speeches. I

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Bernie!

Reviewed: 12-05-17

This is one of the best of the Bernie Gunther series. The story is long, complex and engaging. The narration is up to the job.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Good book marred by abysmal sound quality

Reviewed: 10-12-17

Almost all reviewers have commented on the sub-standard sound quality, and I fully agree with them: the audio sounds as though it had been transferred to digital using worn-out cassettes as the source. This kind of thing is unacceptable and should embarrass the people whose responsibility it is to put books on to Audible.com. All of this is a great pity because it has repelled a large number of people who might otherwise have enjoyed this audiobook. The story and prose are actually very good, and the characters and their conversations are quite engaging and entertaining, and there is a good deal of Yorkshire humor about the book. Unlike several other reviewers, I was able to understand Brian Glover's very thick accent, having grown up close to the region in which the story is set. I recommend that you give this book a try: it's actually a hidden gem, albeit one that is flawed.

Where's Graeme?

Reviewed: 10-02-17

I love the Department Q novels, and this was my third time through the first six. However, I'd forgotten how awful the narration is in "Keeper": it absolutely destroyed what otherwise would have been a good introduction to the series. This is a great pity because -- judging by many other reviews -- the narration may have turned off readers from going beyond this first book, thus missing the enjoyment of both the stories and the outstanding narration by Graeme Malcolm.

Low-quality "spy" novel

Reviewed: 06-27-17

This is one of the least impressive novels of this kind I've ever read. There is barely any plot, the characters are wooden, the dialogue is contrived, the action is geographically barren, and the story relies so much on unbelievable coincidences that it is laughable. A waste of money and time.

A compelling case

Reviewed: 05-17-17

If you have any concerns about Donald Trump's presidency, you owe it to yourself to read this detailed, clear, and persuasive indictment.

6 of 11 people found this review helpful