The Fog Seller

A San Francisco Mystery

By: Don Daglow

Narrated by: David Stifel

Length: 11 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

Winner of four major indie publishing gold medals, 2016-17.

From the creator of the Emmy Award-winning Neverwinter Nights, a novel with a unique hero, an unlikely love story, and more twists than San Francisco's Lombard Street.

It's not cozy but it's intimate. It's not procedural but it makes you think, which is why it's been honored both as a mystery and as literary fiction. Its influences range from Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep to the Coen Brothers' The Big Lebowski to J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye.

"Compelling, mysterious, tender and moving...." - IndieReader, March 2017

"Rating: 9/10. The intricate plot is ingeniously executed so that all pieces of the puzzle fit together.... Twists and turns that at first appear questionable end up working perfectly.... The prose is top notch.... The book's distinctively original structure moves the story along briskly...." - The BookLife Prize, Publishers Weekly, September 2017

Assassinated: The crusading politician who saved hundreds of San Francisco homes from the bulldozers of a big developer.

Accused: A mysterious young loner who speaks his own unique dialect of English and refuses to answer questions.

Unexpected: A woman who will risk her promising future for a man without a past.

When teacher turned deckhand Steve Ondelle is framed for the killing of a San Francisco supervisor, he tumbles into a world of billion-dollar deals and bizarre sexual adventures, a world where hard evidence depicts him as a misfit who turns to murder.

To expose these freshly-minted lies, Steve must first make peace with a lifetime of painful truths. He travels from the piers of Sausalito to the penthouses of San Francisco, with unlikely allies like Leonard the Human Statue, Eli of the Coral Reef, The Prophet of Market Street.

And Liam the Fog Seller.

©2015 Don Daglow (P)2018 Don Daglow

A Fun Read about The City by the Bay

What a fun and enjoyable read. Many twists and turns and a lot of description of SanFrancisco and the people that live in that beautiful place. We had a lot of fun listening to the story and such a great reader. If you have visited San Francisco, you will really enjoy this book. We couldn't put this book down. Kudos to the author as he is spot on.

I could not get through this book.....

Maybe it just wasn't a good time for me to listen but it did not capture my interest

A well deserved Award Winner of a novel

I had never heard of this book at all, and when the opportunity came for me to listen to it I was surprised to see how many awards it had won, and deservedly so. This tale is meticuously crafted, perfectly plotted, and peppered with realistic and interesting characters.This is more than a mystery. It is a journey into the amazing mind of Don Daglow, and it is one that will make you feel everything that Steve, the MC, is going through.

Steve, the protagonist, just wants to lead a simple life, but suddenly finds himself the suspect of a double homicide. His shipmates decide to help him in his time of troubles, and this is where the story takes off. Questions arise from the typical Whodunnit to simply will Steve's love be requited? Oh, and while it is more than a mystery novel, the mystery is complex and captivating.

Stifel is excellent at drawing you in and holding your attention once he has you. He really makes you believe that he is each individual character, and that the events are really occuring in real time. He elevates an already amazing novel.

Fog Seller is just fabulous, and you will lament that your time with Steve and his crew is over. You will miss them and wish there was more to this story.

I couldn’t finish listening

The man reading the book ruined what I’m sure would have been a good story

Not your typical murder mystery

Any additional comments?

I approached this book expecting a typical murder mystery. To some it may very well be but I found it more of a psychological study/love story using murder to move our protagonist, Steve, through coming to terms with who he is and finding romance. The eclectic cast of supporting characters assisting Steve on his journey of discovery is a group of street performers, a detective, a ferry deck hand, former students, a scientist, Steve's landlady and a baker.

As the murder investigation moves along different people become suspects and the identity of the killer wasn't tipped until late in the novel. The evidence was not strong enough for an immediate arrest and an elaborate "stage play" is designed to trap the killer. This was a unique turn for me and I enjoyed it very much.

I do recommend a listen to this book. I think it is well worth the time.

Mr Stifel handles the multitude of characters well although I found some of the character voices a little emotionless.

This review copy audiobook was provided by the narrator free of charge via Audiobook Boom. I have provided this review voluntarily.

This is a wonderful story!

What great fun! The mystery serves as a neat little backdrop for the story of a man learning to be himself.

The Fog Seller

This is a bit confusing at first.I am glad I stuck with it.What a story!Liam sells fog.Steve works on a ferry with his friend Luis.He is a bit odd.A murder is attached to him by police and he and friends have to clear his name and many things up.David Stifel was a wonderful narrator.I was given this book by the narrator,author or publisher free for an honest review.

A mystery full of twists

The narrator is excellent. This mystery involves a lot of unusual characters such as Liam the Fog Seller, Leonard the Human Statue and The Prophet of Market Street. Steve, who has his own unique dialog and is not good at answering questions must deal with his painful past as he searches for the real killers. This is full of twists and turns with clues coming from unexpected sources. An enjoyable listen.

Complex issues and a mystery!

An interesting cast of characters and several plot lines. It has me wishing that real life crimes could be given this much attention.

Excellent mystery!

Poor Steve just wants to lead a simple life. Then he is accused of murder. He and his friends work to clear his name. Excellent book!!