Crescendo

By: Deborah J Ledford

Narrated by: Christina Cox

Length: 9 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's Summary

One dead woman.A missing child.The diabolic father who will do anything to get his son back.The female cop who risks everything to keep the boy safe.CRESCENDO - Redemption with a Bullet.

As the only female Native American officer on the Bryson City, North Carolina police force, Inola Walela, must always play her A game. All bets are off when during a routine traffic stop the passenger insists her son has been kidnapped but is struck by a car before Inola can glean any hard facts. Obsessed with the possibility of a missing child out there somewhere, Inola defies the force and her fiancé, Sheriff Steven Hawk as sets off on a deadly journey to find the missing boy.

Produced by IOF Productions Ltd. Producer, Deborah J Ledford. Engineer/Editor, Nick Fainbarg.

Author DEBORAH J LEDFORD is a 2014 Anthony Award Nominee for the audiobook version of CRESCENDO. Three-time nominee for the Pushcart Prize, other novels by the award-winning author include STACCATO and The Hillerman Sky Award Finalist SNARE.

READER: A native of the Toronto area, CHRISTINA COX is an actress best known for her leading roles on several series including Defying Gravity for ABC and Blood Ties for Lifetime as well as guest starring as Officer. Zoey Kruger on Dexter. She is also known for the feature films The Chronicles of Riddick and Better Than Chocolate. As Co-Executive Producer and star, Christina recently helped resurrect Nikki & Nora--the most watched never aired pilot in history--as a web series. A self-confessed design junkie and devoted yoga practitioner, Christina currently resides in Los Angeles.

©2013 Deborah J Ledford (P)2013 IOF Productions Ltd

A Familiar Profile

Inola Walela must be the best name ever! Along with a solid plot, fast-moving action, and intriguing characters, that's a good reason to give "Crescendo" a try.

We have seen it before, of course. The female cop - a misfit, conflicted, complicated character with secrets in her past. She's hesitant to commit to a personal relationship, she rarely confides in anyone, and she's unsure of herself and her position in the Department. Most of the men on the squad don't fully trust or accept her. Her dedication to solving her case, however, and exceptional skills make her a good cop, and she's willing sometimes to break the rules in pursuit of justice.

Still, Inola and her fellow characters are appealing, and the story grabs you fast. Ledford is a good writer, and Christina Cox narrates with clipped, no-nonsense enthusiasm and considerable skill. I'm definitely willing to continue with this new series.

My one reservation is whether, in the summer of 2014, we are becoming a little less trustful and accepting of the well-meaning cop who may exceed and/or misinterpret authority. In fictionl, we have accepted much in law enforcement that is more questionable when presented in the real streets of New York City or St. Louis. Will (and should) that make stories like this less popular?

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Terrific Cop Stuff

Would you listen to Crescendo again? Why?

Yes/ I know there are details tht I missed and ;istening to the story is so entertaining;

Who was your favorite character and why?

Sheriff Hawk. Tough, honest sensible. My kind of guy.

Have you listened to any of Christina Cox’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

N/A

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No

Any additional comments?

I listen to two or three unabridged audiobooks per week.They get me through tedious driving, boring workouts and occasionally deadly lectures. For me the work needs to be fast paced with an interesting story. It needs to keep me anxious about what happens next so that I'm looking for an excuse to go hide somewhere and listen. Crescendo, by Deb Ledford more than delivers in all areas.The story revolves around a small town, native American policewoman, Inola Walea, who is struggling to maintain credibility and acceptance in her narrow, macho dominated world. All is well until a freaky traffic stop goes terribly wrong resulting in three deaths. The story then cascades like a waterfall sending all of the characters in different directions to try and sort out the tragedy. Inola is then subjected to all of the stresses of being a law-enforcement officer while walking a twisted line trying not to fall into illegality and thus end her career. Her character is well drawn offering the reader a fully developed, competent. likable woman of action who's deep seated insecurities actually make you care about her. The supporting cast is equally intriguing. Inola's boyfriend/fiance. Sheriff Steven Hawk is a very strong, sensible and ultimately sensitive partner for her and she values him above all. The other characters such as the afflicted computer nerd, the chief of police, the chief's buxom niece who may be after Inola's job, Hawk's mother and Inola's own grandmother are woven into the complex story with purpose and just enough detail to make you feel you know them. They are a delightfully intense group and it's tempting to describe their parts but that would be a spoiler and that's not our purpose here.

The story moves along at a comfortably quick pace giving you just enough time to deal with the last set of revelations before heaping on more. There are times when things become a little unclear but that is soon taken care of by the succession of plot twists that render everything into perspective.

It struck me that this book would be of very special interest to law enforcement personnel. We all have our life pursuits and if someone writes about our world we can immediately relate to or dismiss what they have done. It would appear that Deb Ledford has done a superior job in capturing and relating the real-life feelings and anxieties of cops everywhere. I'm sure it will be appreciated.

I highly recommend that you get this book to read or listen. Christina Cox does a wonderful job on the narration being able to move between voices comfortably and smoothly in a conversational tone bringing the characters to life.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Very Villiany

This was a good fast paced crime thriller. I was afraid I would not know what was happening because this is the third book in the series, but it can definitely stand alone. Inola is a outstanding officer in the Bryson City, NC police dept. and has very good instincts, however, she never expected a traffic stop to turn into a murder/kidnapping mystery. The unfolding of the case was exciting and revealed itself with good timing to keep the story interesting. There is also a bit of romance that has its share of ups and downs. The characters are rich, evolved and easy to connect to. This was my first book by this author and I was not disappointed.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Fantastic!

What did you love best about Crescendo?

Deb Ledford is known for creating characters you'd want to know in real life. Crescendo is a great example of why she's earned that reputation.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Crescendo is a tightly woven story. Nothing feels predictable, but by the end, I felt like it couldn't have wrapped up any other way.

What does Christina Cox bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I could listen to Christina Cox all day. She delivered Ledford's story brilliantly. I'd read Crescendo before, but listening to Cox tell the story was a whole other experience. I look forward to Ledford's other novels being translated into this medium!

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Action packed and Mystery

Inola Walela is the only Native American police officer on the Bryson City police force. The stories setting is in North Carolina which I truly love. Inola often feels like she has to work harder than others to prove herself to them. When a routine traffic stop occurs everything she's worked so hard for begins to tumble but she can't set by and do nothing.

Steven Hawk is Inola's fiance` but he's also a sheriff in another district. To get to the truth about everything that's happened she must defy rules from her police captain and from her fiance`. She has this continuous nagging that there's a child out there and she must find him because no one else believes or is willing to do anything to see if she's right. Inola sets out to do her own investigating and find the truth, the boy that she knows exist, and what really happened to have caused this traffic stop to go so wrong.

A wonderful story with a great story line. The character development was really great. A page turner, if you enjoy reading. It's action packed from beginning to end. I was hooked from the start and it has a lot of on the edge of your seat action. This book is filled with lots of emotions and it will surely intensify yours as well. It's a fast paced and quick read that I'm sure anyone would love, no matter if you're reading or listening. You will become hooked as you see and envision the story unfold. At times I found myself lost in the story so much that I felt as if I was there.

Any author that can make you feel as Deborah J. Ledford made me feel did something right. Great character development, a wonderful story line, and the origin of where the story takes place could all be true. I have to give five stars for everything. The narrator did an excellent job. I knew who each character was by hearing their voice. Christina Cox did a wonderful job in her narration of the story. I knew who each man was at the times they spoke and I could tell which woman was speaking as well. Christina mastered her role at performing this story. I can only hope that this author considers in adding the first two books to Audible. I know that this can be read or listened to as a stand alone story but most people that will come across this book will wonder where the first two books are at. To be honest, the majority of people won't get the audio book because the first two books aren't available. I highly recommend giving some thought into adding the other books to Audible. After listening, I would get the first two books. I promise you that and others would also.

I highly recommend everyone to read/listen to this story. I'm confident that you'll enjoy it as much as I did. I know you'll also enjoy Christina Cox's performance as much as I did as well. I was gifted this audio in exchange for an honest and truthful review. I hope anyone that looks at this audio and sees that it reads book #3 won't let that stop you from purchasing it. This is a stand alone book and can be read without reading the first two books, so please don't let that stop you from getting this audio book, you won't be disappointed.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Cut Through the Chase

I think that I have an new female author that I want to follow more. Deborah J Ledford writes "Crescendo" to be a fast pace, suspense, murder, thriller. I don't have that many female authors in my library, because I find most of them focus on the characters' emotions a bit too much, where the plot becomes muddle after a while. "Crescendo" comes out firing from the gate and cut through the chase and gets through the good parts.

Unlike other authors, Ledford builds the female character too be strong and reliance. Just because the main character is a cop, working in a male dominated workforce, Inola plays her role accordingly as a veteran officer. There is very little touchy feelings in her role, but she doesn't come off a typical cop either. It's just a good balance of being feminine and harsh at the same time.

Outstanding character development for a murder mystery and detective genre. The first two books aren't in audio yet. I really hope that they publish the those early books in the series because I want to know more about Inola's romantic relationship and how the bathroom renovation came about.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

A Must Read!

Any additional comments?

This is an excellent suspense novel with outstanding characters. Ledford does a great job of developing characters that feel real and have depth. The storyline was not too graphic, but very tense. It kept me on the edge of my seat.

The narrator was excellent. One of the best I've heard in a while.

All in all, it was a great read. I would recommend it to anyone who likes suspense novels. Don't miss this one!

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Breathless!

What made the experience of listening to Crescendo the most enjoyable?

The vivid details brought to life by Cox's narration made me feel as if I were in the middle fo the story.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

This is defintely an exciting read and made me breathless listening to it. I listened to the last few hours while driving and it ate up the time so quickly. Even when you think it's wrapped up, twists keep the action going.

What about Christina Cox’s performance did you like?

She read with emotion without going over the top. Characters sounded unique.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I never have 7 or 8 hours all at once but I listened to this every chance I got, even carrying my phone in my pocket while cooking and running.

Any additional comments?

I admit this is the first book of the series I've read (heard). What an exciting experience. The action keeps building until the heart stopping climax. I will definitely go back to the first two books. Christina Cox is an amazing voice and knows just how to keep the listener riveted. I'd meant to listen to this later, but started it to get a feel for the book and couldn't stop. What's not to love about the flawed but brave heroine, Inola. Read this or listen to it. You won't be disappointed.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

A Must Listen To!

What did you love best about Crescendo?

As awesome as the book was this audio adds such an amazing dimension to it, with a fantastic reading done by Christina Cox, Ledford's story is so well visualized.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Fast Paced Thriller in Great Smoky Mountains

Where does Crescendo rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Top 25%

What did you like best about this story?

I liked the strong female lead and the fast paced action.

Have you listened to any of Christina Cox’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I haven't listened to any of Christina Cox's performances, however, she does a good job bringing the Crescendo characters to life.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

A dead cop. A missing boy.
Two people will stop at nothing to find him.

Any additional comments?

Crescendo plunges the reader into the world of Inola Walela, the only Native American officer on the Bryson City, North Carolina police force. Put on administrative leave, after her partner was shot, Inola can't rest until she avenges her partner’s killing. She’s been asked to rescue a young boy, who is supposed to be missing but whose identity or even existence can't be confirmed.

Preston Durand is determined to find the same child Inola has been asked to find. The tension builds as Inola and Preston each race to find the missing boy.

Steven Hawk, the county sheriff and Inola’s fiancé, wants to play everything by the book. He tells Inola that there’s no evidence of a kidnapping and neither the city police and county sheriff’s departments can’t take action until evidence and leads materialize. He advises her to stay home. Inola can't leave it alone and keeps investigating determined to get to the bottom of the story.

Set in the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina, the story relies on strong characters and fast paced plot. This is a psychological thriller from start to finish, a satisfying read.

Reader, Christina Cox, does a nice job bringing the characters to life.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful