Death and the Language of Happiness

By: John Straley

Narrated by: David Chandler

The fourth entry to John Straley's Alaska PI series finds Cecil Younger with a contract to kill.

Cecil Younger is a man who takes comfort in the absurdity of the universe, and the universe is obliging him when he gets a call from his lawyer and psychiatrist, who offers him a job. A client wants to hire Younger to kill someone. Though common sense tells him murder just isn't a good career move, his finances tell him it can't hurt to meet his potential client, hoping he can succeed in appeasing him - without a dead body.

Joined by the usual cast of misfits - his lawyer/psychiatrist, Dickie Stein, his girlfriend, Jane Marie, and his ward, Todd - Cecil investigates a murder that brings him back to the Centralia Massacre of 1919, an event in Alaskan history that seems to still be reaching into the present - and its dark, chilly grasp may extend to Cecil himself.

©2018 John Straley (P)2018 Recorded Books

another good book in the series or standalone

John straley once again leaves a great plot and educates us on some of the history of the labor movement in the Pacific North West. it's amazing how many of the issues are still prevalent even 30 ish years after this book was written. it's always worth a read and a listen to take a trip back to this wonderful area in the Pacific Northwest in Alaska.

To my mind, not his best.

I’m just not as interested in detailed past histories (even as important as they can be to our present) as I am in Straley’s quirky characters and the stories of their misadventures. Even so, I loved the narration and I look forward to the next in this outstanding series.

Decent story

I wish this series was a bit more exciting and that Cecil wasn't such a coward. Lol. He needs to grow up and look after Toddy better, too.

Should have thousands of reviews with 5 STARS

Everything about this series is excellent. I dont know why it doesn't have zillions of positive reviews. The story line, the characters, the narrator, the settings in Alaska, the problems of drunkenness, the romance, and history lessons are all first rate. I recommend this whole series, including this volume to all adult listeners. get it while you can.