Burn Me Deadly

By: Alex Bledsoe

Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki

Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's Summary

Alex Bledsoe's The Sword-Edged Blonde drew rave reviews for its ingenious blend of fantasy and hard-boiled detective fiction. Now he brings back his freelance sword jockey, Eddie LaCrosse, in an all-new tale of mean streets and medieval intrigue.

Eddie's on his way back from a routine investigation when his horse almost runs down a half-naked blonde in serious trouble. Against his better judgment, he promises to protect the frightened young woman, only to find himself waylaid by unknown assailants and left for dead beside her mutilated body.

Eddie's quest for payback leads him to a tangled mystery involving a notorious crime lord, a backwoods dragon cult, royal scandals, and a duplicitous femme fatale who has trouble keeping her clothes on. As the bodies pile up, Eddie must use all his wits if he hopes to survive.

©2009 Alex Bledsoe (P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic Reviews

"An entertaining, well-crafted melding of fantasy and hard-boiled detective fiction." ( Kirkus Reviews)

Listen again and again.

Eddie LaCrosse is an unlikely yet totally believable hard boiled detective, in an unlikely but believable medieval world. I'd love to meet him and know him. And the occasional anachronisms, which fit perfectly, make me smile with delight every time.

Stefan Rudnicki has the perfect "Eddie" voice. His character accents absolutely personify a "hard boiled" medieval world, and actually make the stories (if possible) better.

And Rudnicki's voice is liquid dark chocolate velvet. I could listen to him read a phone book, or a doctoral dissertation written in passive voice, and still be happy.

I can (and have) listened to the Eddie LaCrosse stories over and over, and loved then every time.

They're on my "listen to these when you need a reliably entertaining story" list.

1 person found this helpful

Another Winner for Bledsoe!

Great continuing adventure for Eddie LaCrosse who seems to never stop winding up on the wrong side of the sword at the right time... Another fantasy/mystery told in Raymond Chandler style by the deep rich voice of Stefan Rudnicki. No better narrator could have been chosen to give the story it's 1930's mystery novel feel - while being interestingly set in a medieval fantasy. I look forward to continuing LaCrosse novels.

In this story, Eddie is nearly killed trying to help a young girl after being thrown down a cliff with his horse. He takes up the investigation into who these strange men are and what was so important about the girl.

1 person found this helpful

Alex Bledsoe and Stefan Rudnicki GREAT!

This is the second book in the series of "Eddie LaCross". The first book "Sword-Edged Blond" was fantastic, and should be read first. there is humor and mystery and a bit of magic and brutal reality. A hard edged detective, who carries a sword, and tries very hard to bury his past that has tortured him. Start this series with book 1 "Sword-Edged Blond" then continue with "Burn Me Deadly". You will laugh, and run the gambit of emotions with Eddie. I am looking forward to now listening to "Dark Jenny" third book in this series. I recommend this series and I am looking forward to listening to more from Alex Bledsoe.

1 person found this helpful

Spend the drive to work on an adventure

A good adventure story! It is an entertaining way to spend a commute. Alex Bledsoe's characters never fail to deliver adventure with just the right amount of humanity.

as good as the first

its all good. enternaining and enjoyable steph. rud. is the best. gonna read the third book too

I love Alex and Stefan

Ah, the combination of Alex Bledsoe (the author), Eddie LaCrosse (the hero) and Stefan Rudnicki (the reader) ??? it doesn???t get much better than that!

Burn Me Deadly is the sequel to The Sword-Edged Blonde, which I adored, and since Mr. Bledsoe has been picked up by Tor, I???m guessing I???m not the only one who felt that way. I???m happy to report that I enjoyed Burn Me Deadly even more than The Sword-Edged Blonde. Mr. Bledsoe???s got a good thing going here and I think his success results primarily from three factors:

1. His writing style is consistently clear, spare, and straightforward. There is no feel of a conscious attempt to be stylish, yet there are occasional beautiful insights and figures of speech (especially Eddie???s similes) and a splash of grim humor. This style works perfectly with the first-person voice and noir style of these books ??? just the facts, ma???am.
2. His hero is mature (not an angsty teenager) and naturally likable. Eddie LaCrosse is just a normal guy. Well, he???s actually from a minor noble family, but this is almost irrelevant so far. (I???m not sure if Mr. Bledsoe plans to capitalize on Eddie???s connections later, but if so, thankfully there???s no foreshadowing.) Eddie???s got some serious skills since he worked as a sword-jockey, but he doesn???t have any magical powers or instruments, or any sort of prophecy, destiny, or hero complex.
3. His plot is quick, exciting, tense, and realistic. There are no foreshadowed events or ridiculous plot contortions to get characters in the right places at the right times, and the things you think you see coming don???t come. You often feel like you???re reading a straight crime novel (in a different world), until suddenly there???s a god or a dragon. Also, nothing is prettied up. Sex happens, torture happens, swearing happens, murders happen.

3 people found this helpful

another enjoyable story

once again the story was nice and fun.
not too long and not that complicated either.
I look forward to the next book.

Fantasy Noir

Any additional comments?

A really enjoyable blend of fantasy and hard-boiled PI detective story. It had me grinning at the familiar tropes given a new twist.