Coastside Detectives: Armando’s Gold

By: Matthew F. O'Malley

Narrated by: David Angelo

Length: 4 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's Summary

After detective Mike Mason's partner finds a mysterious gold coin on a Pacifica beach, a local reporter does a little sleuthing of his own and ignites a modern-day gold rush.

Encouraged by his partner, Mike steps into the middle of the frenzy and quickly finds he's once more dealing with the wiles of a lovely but treacherous woman. Without hesitation, he joins her in her quest as they scour the town looking for a map that, if the rumors are true, was left by the legendary Ohlone Indian Armando.

As the quest turns deadly, with the bodies of those who have helped in the search start turning up, Mike realizes only time will tell if he will find the map and gold and if he'll escape with his life.

©2012 Matthew F. O'Malley (P)2020 Matthew F. O'Malley

mystery

very interesting tale of of PI's falling into an investigation that pulls some history of pre San Francisco and the Mission into the story. Enjoyed the book but narrator was a bit dry for my taste. Some hard language in the mix.

Detective story that kept me listening

I enjoyed this detective story, it was fun entertainment.
This is my first book listening to the Coastside Detectives, and I'm interested in listening to more.

I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an unbiased review.

4/5 Stars Semi-Gritty Detective Tale

Summary:

Mike catches a case that sparks gold fever in a lot of people.

Additional Comments:

Collin voice goes up and down in a really annoying manner.
I like Moses.
Narrator has decent range. Wish Collin’s part was a heck of a lot shorter.
3 f-bombs
Steve’s kind of annoying. Where did Steve come from. Well, at least the characters are kind of realistic.
I like how there’s still a sense of danger. People die. The main character gets in some scraps that at least give the illusion of real danger.
There’s an overarching hint of more danger but at least this story has a great sense of closure.

Conclusion:

Another solid entry in a mystery series that’s just shy of gritty. (It’s like the diet version.)
*I received a free copy from the author/narrator. I have freely chosen to review it. All views are my own.

Twists and turns!

Greed and murder always seem to go together. Holds your attention throughout.

David Angelo does a good job narrating and bringing the characters to life.

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

"It's all about solving mysteries."

Joe Ballard runs a private detective agency, started by his father, with Mike Mason, his long time employee and now friend and business partner. The Pacific branch of the office was renamed Coastside. There was a second office in the less prosperous Tenderloin area and new interns were being trained. When Joe finds an old gold coin on the beach, the local reporter's article starts a mini gold rush in Pacifica and one particular Crocodile Dundee type woman catches Mike's attention.

A modernesque noir detective adventure, with diverse characters and an unusual plot, this book is an easy and immersive read. The characters, even the main ones, are not especially pleasant people but they seem mostly real as they try to unravel the truth behind a legend. The reader really feels aware of the neighbourhood scenery and the people within it. Narrator David Angelo, gives a good performance as the cynical detective, unsure whether it is the quiet beauty of his relatively new home that he prefers or the noise and danger of the city. His world weary delivery perfectly fits the character of Mike, from whose first person perspective the tale is told. Every protagonist is given their own distinctive voice and the intensity of the story line is reflected in the reading.

My thanks to the rights holder of Coastside Detectives: Armando's Gold, who, at my request via Audiobook Boom, freely gifted me with a complimentary copy. It was a most enjoyable, sometimes humerous, listen, the second I have heard in this series: I hope there will be many more to come. Recommended