Born to Die: A Detective Al Warner Suspense Novel

Detective Al Warner Suspense (Volume 2)

By: George A. Bernstein

Narrated by: Michael Harrity

Length: 10 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

Too many infant boys of Palm Beach gentry are dying of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Only obstetrics nurse Casey Jansson is suspicious.

Al Warner, crack Miami homicide detective, is inactive, languishing on medical leave from a deadly shootout with the Angel of Death. He’s in the best physical condition of his life, but struggling to convince the department’s shrink he is not suffering from PTSD.

Warner meets Casey at a local pub. They are attracted to each other, but misreading the other’s body language, remain reserved. Learning of the SIDS deaths from Casey, Warner concedes it sounds more than coincidental, agreeing to help investigate and hoping romance develops later.

Then Danny O’Brien, a resident doctor and Casey’s best friend, whose research on the deaths is coming to a stunning conclusion, is killed when his little Honda is pushed into the path of a speeding tractor-trailer.

Casey is shattered, but stubbornly continues her search for a culprit for these SIDS deaths. She receives Danny’s notes, mailed to her just before his death. Eager to investigate, she leaves Warner a message, and then follows her suspect deep into the Everglades. Getting Casey’s message, Warner races after her, sure that she put herself in danger. But unlike Casey, who had an unwitting guide, he is uncertain where to look. Casey’s obsession tangles her up in mortal danger. Only Warner can save her - if he can figure out where she went, and get there in time.

©2015 George A. Bernstein (P)2021 George A. Bernstein

A wild ride

Bernstein does it again with a powerful delivery of suspense, tension, and great story telling.

Great Thriller!

This is the second book in the Detective Al Warner Suspense series. This is a great thriller. The characters are well developed, and intriguing. The plot is well crafted, intricate, suspenseful, and captivating. The storyline is fast-paced, filled with danger, murders, intrigue, mystery, and twists and turns. Impossible to put it down. Michael Harrity did a great job with the narration. I enjoyed it. I was giving this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Born to Die

This was a very good book. I enjoyed it. The premise was intriguing, Michael Harrity was a fine narrator.I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Slow start but exciting ending full of suspense

This was the first of the Detective Warner series that I read. Babies are dying from SIDS at St Mary's Hospital in Palm Beach, Florida and there are too many for it to be an unfortunate coincidence. Warner wants to help but he's on leave until he recovers from his injuries and trauma from a previous case.

Casey is a nurse in the hospital who is certain that there is a conspiracy behind the deaths and sets out on a dangerous, life threatening mission to uncover the truth.

This book is about every parent's absolute worst nightmare and Bernstein is not afraid to delve deeply into devastating situations as you listen on. I found it a little slow and long winded to begin with but the ending had me on the edge of my seat and was worth the wait. A must for fans of serious and sensitive crime dramas.

Excellent police procedural

Cases of SIDS are piling up in Palm Beach and all of the children were born in the same hospital. Nurse Casey Jansson and her best friend, resident Danny O'Brien seem to be the only ones worried about it until Casey brings homicide detective Al Warner into the look. The truth behind the deaths is even more horrific than they could imagine and puts them all in grave danger.

This is the second book in the Detective Al Warner series and now I know I need to go back and read the first one. This was my first introduction to this indie author and I want more. If you like a good, gritty police procedural, you need to give this one a read.

I don't think there is anything groundbreaking in this novel. It follows the formula for a good detective story, but I think it does what it sets out to really well. I listened to the audiobook and I will say that while I mostly liked the narrator, I cringed every time he tried to mimic the voice of the French mom of one of the SIDS victims. Really, just stop. It was so bad.

As for potentially offensive content, you will find sex, rough language, and violence consistent with this genre.

I especially enjoyed the wealth of supporting characters and how well they were developed. It really added to the overall depth of the novel.

I look forward to reading more from this highly underrated author and recommend this book to all my mystery-loving friends.

A thriller with a twist

A nurse at a local hospital begins to notice an epidemic of SIDS amongst male infants 6 months and younger that had been born at her hospital. Casey meets and persuades Detective Al Warner to help her and her friend, Danny, solve the mystery. Both Casey and Warner have their own past they are dealing with as they try to solve this devastating mystery. Death extends beyond the infants now as they draw closer to finding the answers.

The author, George A. Bernstein, weaves a meticulous mystery with details that keep the listener guessing until the end. Each character is riveting. Bernstein takes each character and develops them with rich characteristics that help keep the story moving forward. Each plot twist is well-developed and adds to the story drawing the listener in deeper.

The narrator, Michael Harrity provides a smooth performance with voices that keeps the story clear. He interjects the appropriate tone to keep the mystery suspenseful and flowing. His cadence was steady.

This is a suspense-filled mystery with an unexpected ending. While I have not had the pleasure of hearing the other Al Warner mysteries, this can be heard as a stand-alone.

The production and quality of this audiobook were perfect. I encountered no issues; it was clear and crisp.

Disclaimer: This Audiobook was provided free of charge by the author, narrator, and/or publisher in exchange for a non-bias, honest review.

Overly contrived and unrealistic

This is an overly contrived, totally unrealistic detective mystery which is not improved any by the lackluster performance of Michael Harrity. Although he makes an effort to voice characters distinctly, his accents sound phony and his female character voices are too quiet and do not always fit the character. The story is just suspenseful enough to keep one listening.

Note: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.