Fake Truth

Ian Ludlow Thrillers, Book 3

By: Lee Goldberg

Narrated by: Adam Verner

Length: 7 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's Summary

The only thing more dangerous than fake news is fake truth in this exhilarating thriller by #1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Goldberg.

Author Ian Ludlow writes great adventures...but after helping Chinese movie star Wang Mei defect to the United States, he becomes the accidental hero of a real-life espionage thriller. Now he’s stuck with the actress - and suffering a nasty case of writer’s block - when he stumbles into a secret Russian plot using "fake news" to outrage Americans into believing a terrifying lie.

It’s up to Ian and Margo French, his researcher-turned-spy, to discover the connection between a barbaric drug lord in Mexico, a homicidal maniac in California, a rogue citizen army in Texas, a raging TV pundit in New York, and two dead tourists in Portugal...before the president of the United States makes a catastrophic mistake that could resurrect the Soviet Union.

The only weapon Ian has against the global conspiracy, and the assassins who are closing in on him, is his vivid imagination. If his story isn’t a killer thriller, he’s dead.

©2020 Adventures in Television, Inc. (P)2019 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved

Ian Ludlow vs the Russian spies

Ian Ludlow, author, nerdy James Bond fan, and accidental spy, is back. This time he has crossed paths with a Russian spy plot to plunge the US into a war and resurrect the Soviet Union. Can our inept hero save the day? You already know the answer to that, but getting there is the fun part.

I have seen some reviews saying that this book is "too liberal". I didn't feel that way... it's a reflection of our times, albeit through a bit of a fun house mirror.

In the end, it was a fun listen. I recommend it but suggest you read the previous books first to get a lot of the backstory references.

I love this series but Wingnuts beware!!!

Absolutely hilarious take on the surreal atmosphere of today's nexus of the political arena and the daily news cycle. But Conservatives should be wary, you'll be triggered.

Great follow up to the 1st and 2nd.

This should be a movie with like SETH Rogan or something. Very entertaining. Will make you laugh for sure

Hot mess

Oh, this was bad. Just could not finish it. Illogical name dropping every few minutes and a story line that is seemingly made up as it is written. Now that’s bad but compared to the narration this is a veritable work of art.

The narrator concept of accents and women’s voices is nil. Men’s voices are not much better. The only reason to buy this is to get a few chuckles listening to the narrator.

Timely thriller

Considering current affairs, this book is very timely. As always, well researched and well read.

Good Story

Is this a multi-part story? Yes
Does it end in a cliffhanger? No
Genre(s) : Action Suspense

4 Stars for me!
My rating range of this story... 3.5 - 4 Stars
If significant, why?
Biggest deduction? n/a

Main Character Ratings...
H (Ian Ludlow) = 7-10
h (Margo French) = 8/10 - 9/10
TSTL Moment(s)? No

Narrator Rating(s)
M (Adam Verner) = 9/10
F () = n/a
If below 5/10, why?

If Comedy... Type? Funny parts
Funny, Cute, Cringe Inducing, Mixed or Just No!

Angst Level? Moderate
Light, Moderate, Heavy or Please Stop

Internal Monolog/Dialog? Moderate
Light, Moderate, Heavy or Please Stop

Scenes with heat... Several - some mildly explicit

The back story... The H gets pulled into a conspiracy by elements of the Russian Government to spread fake news in order to spark a war.

Gist: The OTT use of a conspiracy nut is understandable but it did get to be a bit much at times.

The drama explosion... Will we attack based off bad Intel?
Did it feel Real, OK or contrived? Ok
Was it OTT? Yes but funny
Separation involved? No
Was it resolved properly or rushed? Properly

Final Notes... I hope the author either dials back on the painting of one party as nutty extreme or, at least, target both parties idiot extreme elements.

HEA or HFN? N/A
Book Source: Kindle Unlimited

Good Book, mixed feelings

I enjoyed the script on this book as I always do with Lee Goldberg’s books but I really have a difficult time with the narrator. I have struggled with this narrator throughout this whole series! He has a very sing song voice and his voice raises at the end of most sentences like it is a question when it is not. It was just frustrating. It really takes away from the story. Lee Goldberg has a funny way and has some good comic relief with his mysteries. Other than the lousy narration the script and the story was good.

The narrator's voices were completely annoying!

maybe a good story, but i will never purchase another book by this narrator! I forced myself to keep listening, but life is too short. I have never given a negative review on Audible, but skip this one!

Fun read

Fake Truth is the 3rd book in the Ian Ludlow series, filled with a little romance, adventure and laughter...I reccomend this book and series. Excellent narration

Corny/Funny story -- Verner becomes unlistenable

I have listened to the first two books and am in the middle of this one. The stories are corny but amusing. The action sequences are pretty good. The coincidences--Ian stumbling into an actual plot by inferring one--are contrived and completely improbable.

However, I will not be listening to any more books performed by Adam Verner. When he is simply narrating in third person, he performs okay. However, when he performs dialog it becomes a dumpster fire. He only has one real voice for his characters. Every sentence is intoned like a question with the last syllables drawn out on a rising note. He doesn't seem to know the difference between a statement, a question, and a retelling when it is coming from one of his characters--especially a female or anyone not named Ian. Example from the president of the U.S.: "afterword I could run for re-election heere and probably win by a laandsliide." delivered with feminine softness, rising intonation, and words toward the ends of sentences emphasized and drawn out dramatically where no drama exists.

Aside from the horribly inappropriate inflection and intonation from his characters, there is too much unrequited lust and/or hackneyed scenes of requited lust--more boring than titillating and a clear case of subtraction by addition--simply for word count.