After the Blue, Blue Rain

By: A. D. Price

Narrated by: Elizabeth Schmidt

Length: 8 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

LA, 1946. Private eyes Katherine "Kit" Comfort and Henry Richman, operators of the struggling Comfort & Company detective agency, have their hands full when a simple missing person case turns into a deadly clash with traitors and killers.

While trying to locate a wayward army doctor, notorious ex-cop Henry and his ambitious young partner Kit become entangled with both a Nazi underground and the government agents who are stalking them.

Told from five points of view, After the Blue, Blue Rain takes listeners on a thrilling, sometimes heartbreaking journey through postwar Los Angeles while posing the ultimate question: What is evil?

©2022 A. D. Price (P)2023 A. D. Price

Noir Detective Story with Unique Characters

Kit comfort and Henry Richman run the detective agency Comfort & Company in Los Angeles following WWII. Scraping by, Kit was thrilled when she was given the task of tracking down an army doctor who had gone missing. However, the case takes a few bizarre turns that involve Nazis, the Nazi Underground, and the US Government! This takes both Kit and Henry on a ride they will never forget, provided they survive!

In the genre of noir fiction, the author, A. D. Price creatively takes the listener down a path that will leave them sitting on the edge of their seat. Price accurately relays the struggle women faced during this time period as well as returning GIs. The close-knit community feeling is also revealed in fascinating detail bringing the listener deep into the story. She builds each main character with a depth that is appealing to the listener. The plot moves slowly at times but with a deliberateness, that enhances the thrilling moment that Price is building toward. The plot twists were executed and the dialogue was well done.

The narrator, Elizabeth Schmidt did a great job of performing this book. Her use of unique voices to help the story move forward was done well. Although she does not have a “solid male” sound, she made them distinguishable so that the story was easy enough to follow. Her delivery was smooth and flawless. She spoke clearly and with energy and confidence for the characters.

Overall, this is a really good book. I enjoyed the storyline and characters and the noir feel to it. I thought the cover was perfect as well! Price and Schmidt make a good team and together they produced a highly engaging audiobook.

There were no issues with the quality or production of this audiobook.

I loved the audio!

1946, excop, private-investigators, amnesia, PTSD, post-WW2, mystery, investigations, historical-research, historical-places-events, historical-novel, hard-reality, unputdownable, noir, murder, detective-fiction, thriller****

Characters are well done and relatable, the pace is mostly fast paced and the plot is sound with several interesting twists. The publisher's blurb is a good hook. The only downside is an unresolved ending.
I won a print copy in a LibraryThing Giveaway and then gave it to my local library! Then I got the audio in another giveaway and my eyes were even happier!
Elizabeth Schmidt is an excellent voice actress for female characters.

Absorbing Historical Mystery

This was my first experience with A.D. Price's work, and I enjoyed it. The story was set after WWII, and the author explored some of the difficulties that were faced by people during that time in history. I liked the complex characters. I appreciated the thought-provoking themes. The noir ambiance intrigued me. I will be looking for more stories from this author. Elizabeth Schmidt's narration was good and kept my attention. I was given a free copy of the audiobook, and I have voluntarily posted this review.

I guess it sometimes *does* rain in California. 😲

In "After the Blue, Blue Rain," A.D. Price takes readers on a thrilling journey through post-WWIl Los Angeles, a city shrouded in a mysterious and steamy blue haze.

The protagonist, Kit Comfort, is a
strong and independent female detective who runs her own agency, specializing in locating missing war veterans. Price masterfully creates a historical gothic mystery that keeps readers on the edge of their seats, with a plot full of unexpected twists and turns.

The author has done an excellent job of capturing the feel and mood of post-war Los Angeles, and the use of Nazi sympathizers as villains adds an intriguing layer of tension to the story.

The title, "After the Blue, Blue Rain," is a nod to the smoky atmosphere of urban L.A. and the book is the first in what promises to be a well-written and captivating historical noir mystery series. Fans of the genre will surely enjoy this book, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a gripping and suspenseful read.

Post WWII Mystery

A great atmospheric, noir genre, immersive detective story. Interesting world building with the locale and the characters in 1946 Los Angeles. I love reading mysteries, and knew I'd enjoy the story, but AD Price took me by surprise — her writing really transported me to the era.
Kit was written as an unconventional, independent, and intelligent woman working in a man's world, and succeeding, by running her own detective agency — even with her penchant for buying hats. :)
The multiple POVs were a great way to reveal clues as they came up, and I always love reading the villain's side of things. It also made the side characters more entertaining as individual entities and personalities with their own quirks and worries.
Elizabeth Schmidt did well with the narration, and I enjoyed her performance of the story.
I hope there are more stories planned. I'd love to read more about these characters.

Fully immersive WWII story

I listened to the audio version on my commute and I couldn't wait to get back in the car to see what happens next. The author does a really good job of transporting you to the era without jarring inconsistencies. The manner of speech, mode of behavior, the plotlines--all of them worked really well together to immerse the reader in post-WWII times. I loved the inclusion of songs that had just been released that we now recognize as old classics. All in all, it was delightful to listen to, and I'd highly recommend it. There were some swear words, but not a gratuitous amount of them, but not much else noteworthy in the "warning" department. I received a copy of the audiobook for free, but all my thoughts are my own. 😊 The narrator of the book was easy to understand and added just enough variation between the characters that it was easy to tell who was talking but not in a distracting way. This was definitely a pleasure to listen to.

Hooked me in on First Page

I feel in love with this book. It reminds me of the new version of Perry Mason, but it focuses on the female who works for him. I enjoyed reading about it doesn't matter what year our soldiers went to war they still deal with PTSD. It shows how trauma can affect each person differently. Family members helping those loved ones and trying to have their own life. The main female character in this book is dealing with a lot and investigating through her own PI company. During this era it was hard for a woman to do this and it was a great read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Fantastic debut

4.5 STARS

AUDIBLE LISTEN

Debut writer A D Price grabbed my attention in the prologue with an unnamed prisoner’s escape followed by a chapter from a psychiatric patient’s journal. Set in the 1940s following WW II AFTER THE BLUE, BLUE RAIN checks all the boxes for a compelling read—interesting characters, clever world-building, atmosphere and plot. Price transported me back to California during a period of history I know little about.

My only slight criticism is that Elizabeth Schmidt’s narration, pitch perfect for neutral and female points of view, was less authentic for the male section. I often found myself forgetting I was hearing a male journal entry. Otherwise, I enjoyed Schmidt’s performance very much.

A superb suspenseful tale

The plot concentrates around a search for a missing veteran in the US after World War II, and it touches on topics like the persistence of Nazi ideas even after they lost the war as well as the psychological trauma many veterans experienced. The idea of a female private detective appealed to me greatly because it juxtaposed a clever and tough lady with a very feminine element, such as a hat fetish. The narrative was so well-structured that even though the story was recounted from various points of view, it was still simple to follow. And I'm pleased I listened to the audiobook version since the narrator did an excellent job of distinguishing between the characters' voices and telling the story in a lively and engaging manner. It comes highly recommended by me.