Some Are Shadows

By: David Sayre

Narrated by: Steven Anderson

Length: 6 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

A pair of strong hands choke the final breaths out of singer Etta Childs. When Miami police fail to turn up a lead, her brother Wendell Childress turns to private investigator and former police detective Ben Sheen.

It quickly becomes apparent that the investigation could have been more thorough. Meanwhile, Sheen’s own dead ends keep piling up. He’ll have to go up against both the police and political powers if he has any hope of solving the crime.

Sheen’s got a hunch why they don’t want him to make progress. One more body will fall before he’s got it all figured out, and he’ll have to work fast to crack the case open before his unexpected new lover is caught in the cross fire.

Can he find the answer in time?

Find out in Some Are Shadows, a classic detective story by David Sayre. It’s the first published novel for the independent filmmaker and Miami native who brings his town to life in a homage to pulp fiction and gumshoe detective novels of the past.

©2016 David Sayre (P)2020 David Sayre

Great debut looking forward to more

Very impressive debut mystery novel. Well paced with relatable characters, well researched noir set in 1950’s Miami. Deftly deals with themes of discrimination, corruption and the politics of love -definitely still relevant in today’s world. Highly recommend for anyone looking for an interesting and enjoyable read will be keeping an eye out for more from this author.

A Noir like Detective Mystery

Some are Shadows is a richly dark crime novel in which Etta Childs, a renowned singer is brutally strangled. The Miami police fail in their crime solving skills paving the way for Ms. Childs’ brother to recruit Ben Sheen, a former police detective turned private investigator to solve the murder. Sheen’s past with the Miami Police make it difficult for him to make progress and another body is added to the mystery. Sheen must overcome the politics of the police and the political leaders in the city before another murder happens. This is a forbidden romantic crime mystery that is gritty and dark and written in classic noir fashion.

It is a reminder of how racism and inequality controlled the cities, politics and police departments in the 40’s and 50’s. The author, David Sayre, skillfully tackles the ongoing threads of racism, corruption, politics in order to make his detective story more realistic and reflective of the times, both past and present. The romance piece of the story was handled well. He was vivid in his details drawing the listener in with the authentic feelings and experiences of the time.

I found his character development to be complete and sensitive. His story was well paced and reflective of the “gumshoe or noir” style of crime writing of the 40’s and 50’s. There were several plot twists that added to the intrigue of the story and further development of the characters. I enjoyed this book.
The narrator, Steven Anderson, has a pleasant voice – not too gravelly and not too soft, seemed perfect for the character. With the exception of the production/editing quality of the audiobook, this book was a good listen. I enjoyed Anderson’s performance. I would enjoy hearing him again.

The production had a few flaws as there were times the narrator repeated sentences, this happened in the last 30-45 minutes of the story. At first, I thought it was an emphasis on something that was going on in the story but realized it was an editing issue. Although it does not detract from the story.