Fat Ollie's Book

By: Ed McBain

Narrated by: Michael Arkin

All at once, Fat Ollie Weeks had a truly brilliant idea...

But as any real writer could tell you, that's how inspiration strikes -- with the sudden force of a violent crime. Known more for his foul mouth and short temper than his way with words, Detective Weeks has written a novel. But just as Isola is rocked by the murder of a mayoral candidate, the only copy of Ollie's manuscript is stolen -- and an all-too-real adventure begins as a thief follows Ollie's fictional blueprint to find a $2 million cache of nonexistent diamonds. Now, the 87th Precinct races to bring poetic justice to a cold-blooded assassin -- and someone's about to add another chapter to the colorful career of Ollie Weeks, a cop who's never played by the book....

Great story plot

Never saw this ending coming. Great plot and story telling. I love novels about the 87th precent

Much fun

Ed trails subplots around and across each other with consummate skill building the tale on classic dialogue. A lot of fun and very entertaining.

Great Listen

Where does Fat Ollie's Book rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

On a scale of 1-10 of the audiobooks I've listened to so far (which aren't many as of yet), Fat Ollie ranks a 9.

What did you like best about this story?

Michael Arkin is a good reader and his pace is perfect -- not too fast or too slow. He has an excellent mastery of the accents he had to cover.

Which character – as performed by Michael Arkin – was your favorite?

My favorite character as performed by Michael Arkin would be the male Puerto Rican prostitute.

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

Yes.

Any additional comments?

I only wished sometimes that Arkin wouldn't read every single sentence so dramatically. Occasionally, I felt like he was reading a children's book and that it needed toned down as the mood of certain scenes or dialogue varied.

Funny As Hell!

Would you listen to Fat Ollie's Book again? Why?

I might listen to sections of this book again, especially near the end. There are some moments there that made me laugh right out loud.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Fat Ollie's Book?

I think the best part is the unlikely romance between Ollie and another female cop from his precinct.

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

This narrator has a great way of delivering a punch-line.

Funny

I can't help it, even as dated as it is, the over dramatic narration and Fat Ollie, I loved it.