Harry Starke

The Harry Starke Novels, Book 1

By: Blair Howard

Narrated by: Tom Lennon

Length: 8 hrs

Publisher's Summary

Why did Tabitha Willard throw herself off the Walnut Street Bridge?

It's almost midnight, bitterly cold and snowing, when a beautiful young girl, Tabitha Willard, throws herself off the Walnut Street Bridge into the icy waters of the Tennessee. Harry Starke is there, on the bridge. Wrong time, wrong place? Maybe. He tries but is unable to stop her. Thus begins a series of events and an investigation that involves a local United States congressman, a senior lady senator from Boston, a local crime boss, several very nasty individuals, sex, extortion, high finance, corruption, and three murders. Harry has to work his way through a web of deceit and corruption until finally...Well, as always, there's a twist in the tale - several in fact.

Who is Harry Starke?

Harry Starke is a private detective, a big fish in a small pond. He's a tough individual with a past, a conscience, and friends in high places. He's single, successful, wealthy, a womanizer, well-educated, and he will hurt you if he needs to. This book is the first in the series of Harry Starke novels.

©2015 Blair Howard (P)2015 Blair Howard

Harry is awesome!

I love this audio book! It is richly read by Tom Lennon. I thought Harry had some great one liners in the book. However, Tom made me laugh until my eyes cried! The premise of a young girl jumping off the bridge to her death, and Harry blaming himself, leads to a remarkable ending! From beginning to end, this book has it all. I still have a hard time believing that Blair Howard wasn't a p.I. in his former career.

I have had the pleasure of reading all of the books in the Harry Starke series so far. I swear they get better with each consecutive one. But, this is still one of my favorites. We are just getting to know Harry and his incredible humor. Each book after, we learn more and more about him, his past, his loves, and his incredible (jet owning) father. If you are looking for a great detective book, look no further.....but don't just stop there! Load up on all that you can. They are absolutely extraordinary!

Great read!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would highly recommend this book!

What other book might you compare Harry Starke to and why?

This is as good or better than other detective books available on Audible.

Have you listened to any of Tom Lennon’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Tom is a captivating voice actor who brings the characters to life.

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

Yes!

Any additional comments?

I love this series! Well written and superbly narrated. I listened to the first two books on audible and I am currently reading numer 3 on Kindle. I am very much looking forward to future books in the series!

A new series to eagerly wait for

What did you love best about Harry Starke?

Harry is bigger than life, yet at the same time a very believable, like to get to know better, kind of guy next door.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Harry Starke?

The death of the roommate

Which character – as performed by Tom Lennon – was your favorite?

Harry Starke himself. While he certainly doesn't sound like the cover picture I think it is the picture that is wrong. He sounds exactly like Harry should.

Any additional comments?

I have already read books 3 and 4 and each one seems to be better than the previous one.

Cracking Good Read and Fabulous Narrator

Review
First of all, despite sex and violence being mentioned in the blurb I don't believe many would find it too disturbing or distasteful to read, it's all pretty mild stuff.
Harry had tried to save the girl, his efforts failed. While he was waiting for the police to arrive he did what any P.I. would do, he went through her handbag, what he found there among the contents aroused his curiosity.
Though everybody agreed that Tabitha had taken her own life, nobody could offer a reason for why she would do such a thing. Harry, feeling that something bad was going on made it his business to find out what had driven her to such desperate measures. Little could anyone know of how complex and twisted the road to truth would become!
Harry has contacts, lots of them, good people and bad people and he makes full use of them all, including his wealthy father. These diverse characters makes for some interesting interactions which, in turn, makes good reading. I'm not quite sure what to make of Harry as he comes across as a really nice guy with that Southern gentlemanly way of speaking, yet he seems to have no qualms about using a bit of violence against those who cross him.
There's a bit of complicated romancing going on in Harrys' life too, it's almost off with the old love and almost on with the new. Believe me, he met one of his ladies in a most unusual and interesting way.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book as it's the really good and solid type of P.I. fiction that I love and I intend to read more, it will be interesting to discover a little of Harrys' true character, and read more of his adventures.
Narrator
I don't know who chose Tom Lennon to play Harry, but they could not have made a better choice. I can't fault him, the pace and rhythmn were spot on and he has one of those voices and way of speaking that could convince you of anything. He certainly has mastered the art of nuance, with just the subtlest change in speech Harry goes from friendly guy to your worst enemy, and it's this smallest change of delivery that creates such authenticity. Fabulous narration, Tom Lennon aced this high quality production.
Audiobook provided by the narrator, author or publisher in return for an honest review

I will be reading the next one!

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

N/A never read the book

What did you like best about this story?

Great plot. Complex mystery but entirely believable. Liked the setting as well. Who knew anything about Chattanooga? Now I would like to visit.

What about Tom Lennon’s performance did you like?

I thought he nailed it! He is a softer sound than the cover picture, but seemed to fit the character perfectly.

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

There are some sad things that happen here, but cry - No. Several laughs. The dialogue is witty.

Any additional comments?

This is an old fashion PI book set in modern day Chattanooga. Kind of a Mike Hammer set in the South. That alone makes it unique and interesting. I will be looking for the next in the series.

Great Series!

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

Smart, Sexy, tough

Who was your favorite character and why?

Harry is a lovable rouge so if you don't like him, you will hate the book. He is a throwback type PI to novels of maybe 30 or 40 years ago. Women's lib types need a sense of humor here as he really is pretty harmless. The funny little bar owner that appears a few times is lovable in a Louie D'Palma kind of way as well.

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

He reminds you this is Chattanooga, not LA, Chicago, or NY. Laid back with a pleasant Southern twang that you normally don't hear in a PI mystery.

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

Harry's dialogue with the deceased's father.

Any additional comments?

I listened to book #2 first and liked it so much I had to go back and buy #1. I actually think number 2 is slightly better plot wise, but nice to now understand the back story. Looking forward to the next release in the series.

Chattanooga P.I. does his best work

Would you listen to Harry Starke again? Why?

Yes, there seem to be nuances that underlie the story. I want to find them.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

More kept my interest in a evolving manner. Don't get me wrong, this is a well written mystery. The narration was spot on for the material. Enjoyable.

Have you listened to any of Tom Lennon’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have. He is blessed with a sense of believable enthusiasm that comes across in his readings.

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

Chattanooga P.I. gets to the bottom of things

Any additional comments?

A good start to a promising series.

Thank you for making this available for review!

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review.

good old-fashioned solid mystery

Harry Starke finds himself at the wrong place at the wrong time witnessing the suicide of a beautiful young woman. Why would she jump off a bridge in front of him? Harry, a private investigator, starts searching for answers and becomes entangled in a web of corruption, blackmail, murder, power, greed, deceit, and sex.

Harry is the classic private investigator from traditional murder mysteries. He is a generally nice and kind guy, who is also very smart and cunning. He is different from the usual crime fiction protagonists these days because he is neither addicted to alcohol nor struggling financially nor does he have a disastrous family history. He's not brooding, he's just a pretty normal guy in his early forties, a successful businessman who likes the ladies.

Set in Tennessee and interlaced with a good bit of dry humor, this first book in the Harry Starke series was fun to listen to and gave a solid introduction to Harry's world. All the characters were multi-layered and made the plot interesting to follow. What stopped me from rating the story higher was that I felt things were over explained and hence there was some repetitiveness. The plot was easy enough to follow so I didn't really need extensive explanations. However, I really liked Harry and the people he's working with, so I'm certainly invested enough to try the second book in the series.

If you like good, old-fashioned solid mysteries with a strong male lead then you can't go wrong with this one. The language is clean, it contains some sex and violence but nothing is explicit, so it's perfectly suitable for all listeners/readers. The only thing that may split readers/listeners is Harry's relationships with women, I guess. I know I would have liked to see him go a different path, but his decisions and explanations for it were perfectly comprehensible.

Tom Lennon delivered the narration with a Southern flair suitable for the setting of the book. He was able to do the female voices without sounding shrill or silly, which was great. His delivery was smooth and confident and suited the first person narrative of the male protagonist well. For me personally, it was a little too laid back and I had to adjust the speed a bit. Overall, the narration was very good, and I would certainly listen to Tom Lennon again. There were no issues with the production.

Audiobook was provided for review by the narrator.

Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog

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Good

Good book. Predictable but entertaining. I will be downloading and starting the next book in series soon.

A new favorite!

Harry Starke left the Memphis PD to start his own PI agency. He's not the typical hard-up detective. The son of a respected judge, he has his own agency and is obviously not wanting for money. But Harry is not an idle rich business owner. When a young woman whom he saw in a bar jumps to her death in terror as he tries to save her, Harry can't relax until he gets to the root cause of her actions.

He's tough, unorthodox, and not above breaking a law or two to uncover the truth. He's a ladies' man who doesn't manage to resist temptation, despite a long relationship. He's a paradox of honor and dishonor, with a good heart to redeem the sleazy side.

I enjoyed the story and the characters and will listen to more in the series.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from Audiobook Boom and am leaving a voluntary and honest review.

A pretty good start to the series.

This is the first in the Harry Starke series and a very good introduction to the detective. Harry is pulled into a shady world involving politicians, gangsters and sundry folks both rich and poor, when he witnesses and maybe somehow contributes to a woman's suicide.
There is humour, danger, fighting, and more in this book. There are also some moments that are a bit difficult to square with reality, especially his access to and involvement in the official police case, but overall I enjoyed the book.

wow

Totally fantastic audiobook from the pen of Blair Howard and brilliantly narrated by Tom Lenton xxxxxxxxx

Enjoyable

Another new-to-me author and another entertaining Audible outing which helped pass some otherwise mundane work hours. Blair Howard's Harry Starke is the first in a long series featuring the title character as a well connected Chatanooga PI. I enjoyed the book and it's a series I'll definitely re-visit in the future, without being blown away by what Howard served up.

As an aside, I don't especially buy into the..... for the fans of Patterson, Baldacci, Silva etc etc. Hell why not name 50 popular authors in the hope that the lustre sticks by association and you grab some readers? Far better to be your own man and your own voice. But then I'm not pitching books only reading them.

Here Starke is in close proximity to a woman who commits suicide and fears his presence contributed to the woman's death. Ergo an investigation into her death, somewhat assisted by the fact that Starke's long-term girlfriend is a cop who catches the case. An introduction to the woman's grieving father sees Starke retained in an official capacity and justifies his personal involvement in the investigation.

I think I had to hold my nose at the way a cop manages to include a private investigator, one she's sleeping with into official interviews with witnesses and also entrusts a key piece of evidence found on the deceased's body to her beau. Convenient, oh yes.

Apart from that I quite enjoyed the tale........ an investigation, more deaths, a secret private member's club, a local gangster going up in the world and fronting a decidely suspicious development, a dodgy politician, possible corruption and blackmail opportunities and our main character proving himself to be a bit of a rogue with a wandering trouser snake. Harry, you dirty dog.

Fisticuffs, humor, action and a decent enough storyline which was resolved satisfactorily albeit with a measure of convenience, along the way. There's far worse ways of spending your time.



3.5 from 5

Howard has written 14 books in his Harry Starke series so far, as well as numerous other works. I look forward to reading (listening to) more from him in the future.

Read - (listened to) September, 2020
Published - 2015
Page count - 320 (7 hrs 30 mins)
Source - Audible purchase
Format - Audible

I think she jumped because of me.

Harry Starke, one time cop now PI, describes himself as ' Just a southern boy in a small southern town,' but he's far more than that. He might be a little slow in all things computer, but had graduated in '93 and had a masters in forensic psychology. He has a small suite of offices in downtown Chattanooga, employing a staff of nine and daddy is a respected lawyer who knew most everyone worth knowing, well endowed with cash and even a private jet. So not the usual shabby, down at heel PI more usually found skulking round the bars and backstreets.
Not, of course, that Harry doesn't do his own fair share of skulking. And it was after one such evening frequenting a low dive people watching, that he pauses on a bridge late at night to clear his head. Everywhere is quiet until a woman comes running along the road towards the bridge: he'd noticed her in the bar earlier and thought her out of place. She seemed terrified, as it she were being chased. Then, seeing Harry standing there, she ran for the edge of the bridge and threw herself over.
And Harry, horrified, realized she'd killed herself because of him.

This newly created Private Investigator from the pen of Blair Howard is remarkable. His characterisation is superb and, less so but still good, is that of all of the lesser protagonists. Harry is a very real person, not necessarily always likeable but with his own codes of conduct and loyalties and able to draw on help from his staff and his father, if needed. Saddened and horrified, Harry needs to know why this woman he'd seen for the first time that night was so afraid of him she'd killed herself rather than run past him.
Told in the first person, narrator Tom Lennon becomes Harry Starke, in speech and nuances, revealing to the readers his fears and guilt as well as his triumphs. Lennon's is an excellent performance, also giving separate voice to the other protagonists' conversations. The story is an intriguing one, also, involving political corruption as well as sexual exploitation and criminal activity including violence and the quest for power and money.Sent

My thanks to the rights holder of Harry Starke, book I, who, at my request via Audiobook Boom, freely gifted me with a complimentary copy. This is the first, I understand, of a long running series and is one that I will definitely be pursuing. Great character, intriguing mystery, intrinsic humour, and well read: I'm looking forward to re-meeting Harry Starke in the next in series.
Recommended.