Deathwatch: Broslin Creek

Broslin Creek, Book 1

By: Dana Marton

Narrated by: Talmadge Ragan

Length: 5 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

The only person who can identify the most notorious hit man in the country, Kate Bridges is running for her life. Murphy Dolan is in the Army Reserves, returning from his 2nd tour of duty, only to find a stranger hiding in his house. She's scared spitless. He's completely burned-out on violence. Neither of them has any trust left to give.

©2013 Dana Marton (P)2014 Dana Marton

good one

First, the story was awesome, the blurb doesn't do it justice. The twists coming when least expected were great, I love that in a book. The main characters, Murph and Kate, were so mismatched at the beginning made me wonder where does the story go, but as the story unfolded I fell in love with them. Great secondary characters, the chief and the mail lady were my fave.
Dana Marton is a new author-to-me and I like what I see so far, I will be looking for her other books to enjoy. Thank you Ms. Marton.

As for the narration, I loved Ms. Ragan's voice, not as varied as others I've listened to, but great pitch, very pleasant. The only thing that bugged me is that she has a slight lisp, not sure what it is from, but a few places I had to go back and listen again to the word/s to hear what it was, two places I couldn't make it out even after the third listen.

Outstanding listen can't wait for the hit man book

Where does Deathwatch: Broslin Creek rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I loved the story but the lisp that you only hear in Ms, Ragan normal voice bugged me. Besides this I would say it was an outstanding listen. It is not the best but not the worse my far. I would listen to it again.

Which character – as performed by Talmadge Ragan – was your favorite?

Talmadge did wonderful on all the characters but I enjoyed Kate and the hit man the best.

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

Take a seat hang on for the ride of your life as you hold your breath as you have more action adventure than you can stand. More thrills as we send chills down your spine.

Any additional comments?

I am going to break this down from the narrator to the book. I have read Deathwatch and loved it. There are none of Dana Marton’s books that I have read that I do not love. Dana is one heck of an outstanding author who knows how to keep her readers on the edge of their seats as she takes you through her twist and turns. Dana knows how to tell a compelling story that always leaves you wanting more. In DeathWatch Katy watching her own funeral, I can’t even imagine setting there watching my family at my own funeral knowing until the bad man is caught they will have to live with the pain of my death. Knowing they will face many years of memories, of birthday, Christmas remembering the good times as they shed tears and not knowing how many more years you have to go before you can be with them again. This is one of those books that nothing but nothing is going to come between you and finishing it until the end.

How can you even think about being on the run for 18 months trying to keep one step ahead of a hit man? Be a sleep only to come awake to find a strange man in your bedroom what that must feel like. The author writes a story that keeps your heart in your mouth as she takes on a ride never knowing who to trust, no one has kept you safe not even the FBI. The author gives you everything you could ask for in this book. It is outstanding and you really should pick up one of Dana’s books to read or listen to. I cannot wait until I read the book where the hit man comes back.

Narrator: I thought she did an outstanding job on the characters, the different voices would done wonderfully. However she does have a lisp that you only hear in her normal voice, that did bug me. I did not find Ms. Ragan's voice to be smooth and even flowing in her normal voice but in the characters voice it was even and had an easy flow. I thought she brought wonderful life to the characters and I did enjoy her character voices.

On OK read.. So-So narration..

I liked Kate and Murphy, and I liked that she told Murphy her story instead of insisting on leaving and taking care of herself, like soooo many authors tend to write, which I find totally stupid. Women who have no training cannot take care of themselves against a killer, I don’t care how big her gun is.

But at about 80% I was getting so frustrated I almost quit reading. I mean, Agent Cirelli of the FBI was soooo stupid you just wanted to jump into the book and slap her silly. Then I got PO’d at Murph because he really didn’t try hard enough to convince the FBI that he didn’t know where Kate was and they needed to be out looking for her. At least 20 minutes passed at the police station, time enough for Mordocai to rape and kill Kate 2 or 3 times and no one was even looking for her. The whole scenario was just so stupid it was ridiculous.

And this is NOT a cliffhanger but it did leave unanswered questions and said Murph and Kate would show up again in another book where the questions would be answered. I don’t like that.

As I said, there was some sexual tension in this book but their first time together was disappointing, since it was a 3-minute-quicky, with the FBI out in the other room. They did have sex again at about 95% but it was nothing to write home about.

I really can’t see myself reading anymore from this author because her EBOOKS are just too expensive. I won’t pay $5.00 for a book with 204 pages or $4.84 for 172 pages. This one was free, that’s the only reason I decided to try this author. It had its draggy moments but I was interested in finding out who the assassin was in town.

As to the narration: Mostly she did ok with the voices but a lot of time she sounded like she was reading around a mouthful of spit. That was very annoying. I’m not sure I could listen to her again.

Recommended

I love it when there are appropriate times for laughter in an intense and suspenseful story. This one had it all. Kudos

Loved it

Book two should be great. Looking forward to it. I did not figure out the killer. That was unusual for me!

Awesome start

4.5*'s

This is the first novel by his author for me and I have to say I enjoyed the story. There were a few spots in the story that were slow but over all it's a great read, or listen. I got lucky with this one being in a recent email I got about books on sale or something. I'm not sure which one but I am glad I picked it up. I will be looking at further books in this series by this author.

Waiting for your hitman - Deathwatch

What made the experience of listening to Deathwatch: Broslin Creek the most enjoyable?

Deathwatch is well narrated, I was was drawn in by both story and voice that kept me mesmerized. For me a voice needs to fit the story, accents and voice cadence can make or break it. Talmadge Ragan seems to have the right draw in her voice for me.
at times she did seem a bit close to the microphone, but that was not a an issue, nor did it bother me.

What other book might you compare Deathwatch: Broslin Creek to and why?

I'm still fairly new to audible, however, I would have to say that I would compare this book to the narration of "The Cuckoo,s Calling", as narrated by Robert Galbraith. His voice fit the story as well, and it was full of mystery and intrigue as well.
Talmadge and Robert did not try to over do the different characters voices, which can e distracting. I felt the intensity of the situations in their voices, changes flowed nicely and kept me drawn into the story.

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

Listening to a good reader can bring the story to life more than reading a book for yourself, it can add depth to the story and experience that may not come into play with reading the book.
When I read and then listen to a book, I just seem to experience more of an involvement sometimes, Talmadge added the depth and intrigue in her voice that doesn't necessarily come into play with reading on my own.

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

Followed by death

Any additional comments?

The reading was enjoyable, I did feel like it ended short, but perhaps with a hope for more, like a continuation. I guess I wanted the hit-man to be caught. That's just me, but I can see the potential.
Overall a great book, great read, and great listening experience. I,m looking forward to hearing more of Dana's books in audio, she holds a few spots in my TBR list.

A Wild Thrill Ride For Sure!

What did you love best about Deathwatch: Broslin Creek?

The Story!

Kate Bridges thought attending her own funeral would be the hardest part....

It was a fast-paced, action-packed story that made it hard for me to breathe more times than I could count. It teems with hot, sexy romance and gripping suspense. It's the first book in the author's awesome Broslin Creek series and the only one of the books available in audio at the time I listened to it. It takes place over a span of just a few days and was an excellent listen; I ate it up!

The story opens as Kate is observing her own funeral. She had witnessed a murder and is now hiding from the most notorious hit man in the country after the killer tried to take her out also. When her FBI protection fails to protect her, she barely escapes with her life. On the run, she lives off the grid, moving frequently from town to town, determined to stay alive and to keep the family she left behind off the killer's radar.

She is currently in the small town of Broslin renting the home of a soldier on active duty. The problem is that he's not on duty any longer - he's actually come home. He was injured in Afghanistan and is craving peace and quiet, totally unaware that his home has been rented. When the beautiful woman in his bed refuses to leave, he's not happy, but he can see that she's scared. His protective instincts surface just as the villain's next attack is on the horizon.

What did you like best about this story?

I loved both Kate and Murph. Kate had a terrible childhood but she's grown into a strong-willed woman with a feisty outlook and a tender heart. I chuckled every time she uttered her favorite expression, "sweet cocoa-bean heaven" as I'm a chocoholic too.
Murph, our uber sexy hero, is the epitome of what every woman would want in a hero. He's a sweetheart. He aspires to return to his law enforcement job in Broslin as soon as he recovers from PSTD and his physical injuries. The chemistry between Murph and Kate is beyond sizzling. They seem made for each other - whether they accept it or not.

What about Talmadge Ragan’s performance did you like?

Talmadge Ragan, the narrator, did an excellent job at bringing the characters to life. Her voice was very clear and distinct. She made it easy to differentiate between the characters. I could feel the characters' tension, fear and desperation in her articulation - perfect for this thriller. Her performance kept me spellbound to the story from the beginning to the end. I would not hesitate to pick up another book performed by Talmadge.

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

YES! I hated it when life interfered and I had to stop listening. I kept adding in extra listening time. Dana's writing was excellent, as always. Dana's stories are always fresh and original with twists and turns that I never see coming. In this book, you have a scarred woman attending her own funeral, an injured war hero returning home and a crazed assassin - the combination makes for a wild thrill ride for sure! Can Murph keep Kate safe when the FBI could not? You have to listen to or read DEATHWATCH to find out! Then... you won't want to stop it either!!!!

Any additional comments?

If I had any complaint about the book at all, it was that the ending left Kate and Murph's story partially unresolved. I'm thrilled to report that in Broslin Creek book #5, BROSLIN BRIDE: GONE AND DONE IT, DEATHWATCH garners its own better-than satisfactory closure in the Epilogue. What a wonderful surprise that was! It was perfection! I'm happy dancing all over the place!!!!! Thank you, Dana! So... don't lose faith and think that Dana will leave Murph and Kate's story hanging... Just keep reading the series - Each book has been a treat. You'll be so glad you did!

Captivating Story Line of Broslin Creek Series

Would you listen to Deathwatch: Broslin Creek again? Why?

Yes, it was such a captivating story and dynamic characters had me wanting to listen to see what will happen next and I will be listening to it again in the near future.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked following the main character on her journey to evade the assassin who is one of the top ten on the F.B.I. most wanted list, which makes her disappears while waiting for the assassin to be captured so she can go back home to her family.

Which scene was your favorite?

When Murphy Dolan catches up to Kat her capture in the wooded area off the highway and Murphy saves Kat.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Kat finally told Murphy what and why she was running.

Any additional comments?

This is my first read or should I say listen… of one of Author Dana Marton’s books and I absolutely loved the premise of the story. I was captivated by the suspense through the story. Also, this is the first audio that was narrated by Talmadge Ragan. Her narration added to the story in my opinion. I really enjoyed reading this story and looking forward to listening or reading the rest of the Broslin Creek book series and other books by Dana Marton.