Max

By: Bey Deckard

Narrated by: Nick J. Russo

Length: 4 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

Fresh out of school, Dr. Crane takes on a new patient who both intrigues and unnerves him. Charming, manipulative, and amoral, Max has exactly the sort of mind Crane finds himself drawn to with fictional characters.

As Max weaves himself into Crane's life, Crane realizes that while fiction might be safe, Max certainly is not.

When the professional line between them thins, who gets to define where one man ends and the other begins?

©2016 Bey Deckard (P)2016 Bey Deckard

Cra-cra but fun! 🤩

A good old fashioned morality tale about a stone cold psycho and his unexpected love for his simp daddy. Lol.

Wow. Just wow.

I'm writing this immediately after listening to Max, and I'm still stunned. I can't express how much this book impacted me. Psychological mindf*ck is the only way to describe it, and I can't think of anything better to use. I can't express enough how much I loved this book, and the narration was spot on. Russo did an excellent job with it, really bringing this story to life. I wish I had a more eloquent response for this review, but all I can say is that if you want dark and screwed up, look no further.

What in the gone girl?

My mind is blown away. This book was so incredibly creative. You didn't know if you're going up or down left or right. Nick did an amazing job per usual. Just wow

twisted

seriously. idek what or how to feel. it's so wrong and twisted and.. asdfghjkl??
i legit wanna hate it..? just because.
but I don't. I love it. a lot.
ughhhh.

such romance and a great story

love, passion, and compassion, great fast listen take keeps you drawn in. Nick j Russo as always great narrator with character inflection and changing voices for each character.

Twisted and delicious

Max is a psychological trip, it is not a "nice" fairy tale but it does come with a happy ending, and it is so juicy, I'm still enjoying the aftertaste. Dennis Crane is a therapist, a calm, gentle, collected soul who started treating patients, when he meets a new patient, Max. Max is beautiful, mysterious, intelligent and scary, and Crane can't help but feel fascinated and mesmerized by Max, and his wild attractions. Max is always a mystery, he is never fully explained, and we can only see him through Crane's eyes, and he is a wild ride: sex, drugs, violence, and surprisingly, acceptance. Crane embraces all his dark desires, and Max let's him do it. But is Max really capable of love? That's the question. The narrator does an AMAZING job, Max is playful and seductive, and Crane is emotional and disjointed. Each character is recognizable and distinctive, and the tone of the book comes through consistently. Max is a twisted story, and I just wish there was more.

Thrill Ride!

Review – Book: I previously reviewed this book here.

Wow! This story grabs you right from the get go as Max begins his sessions with new doctor Crane. It also quickly becomes clear Max has some major issues and is one smart cookie. He is in control from their very first conversation and uses that control to manipulate and play every piece of his puzzle/game with scary and intricate precision. Dr. Crane didn’t really ever stand a chance.

The story plays out as Max takes over more and more of Dr. Crane’s life basically turning it upside down in every bad way possible, and Dr. Crane is all but helpless to stop it. There is a point where you wonder who has bigger psychological issues that need dealing with, and every twist and turn of this story keeps you on your toes.

I found myself engrossed and searching for more details about Max, about what his true intentions were and what the end game was going to be, much like Dr. Crane. But, just when you think you’ve got an idea or think things are a little clearer, the rug is ripped out from under you and you’re left scratching your head wondering if you missed any clues. I was still in a bit of a state of disbelief at the end.

There are strong warnings with this story. It is dark and sometimes violent. But, if you can handle that, and like a story that keeps you on the edge, I strongly urge you to give this story a go. It is one heck of a jam-packed exciting ride.

Review – Audio: Nick Russo does another fabulous job bringing Mr. Deckard’s characters to life. If you read the book, you already know how deliciously creepy this story is, but the audio adds even more to the twistedness that is Max. He adds clarity to scenes that were already vividly laid out and adds life and another depth to the characters that you can’t help but care about, or at least care to see what happens to them. This story will keep you on the edge of your seat, guessing and trying to see the clues. If you are looking for something a little different, with a definite edge, be sure to add this one to your list. Max does not disappoint, and neither does Mr. Russo in his narration.

Psychopathy and psychosis

Damn, do you love psychopaths and twisted mind games? Well the. You will love max. This story builds and builds adding new layers to our characters at every twist and turn

Thrilling Mastery Like Hitchcock

Would you consider the audio edition of Max to be better than the print version?

I did not read the print version.

What other book might you compare Max to and why?

Cari Waites 'Stealing Innocents'. Psychologically thrilling.

What does Nick J. Russo bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The emotionally, diabolical state of Max.

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

It brought out all kinds of emotion I enjoy in a thriller: My heart pounded in trepidation, my head spun with trying to puzzle it all together and my chest ached hoping it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was.

Any additional comments?

What makes this story, and the audio, so brilliant is that the imagery is so picturesque that you can see every single moment happening, envision each characters reaction, feel the emotion. It’s as if Bey wrote Max with every intention it would be narrated.

Dark, weirdly engaging

If you could sum up Max in three words, what would they be?

Manipulative, Controlling, Enticing

What was one of the most memorable moments of Max?

I can't say without revealing important plot points

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

I'm going to think about the plot for a few day. Seeing the darkness even the "regular guy" character has and how the right person could bring that out of him or others could tamp it down was an interesting piece of this story.