Lethal

By: Sandra Brown

Narrated by: Victor Slezak

Length: 12 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's Summary

When her four-year-old daughter informs her a sick man is in their yard, Honor Gillette rushes out to help him. But that "sick" man turns out to be Lee Coburn, the man accused of murdering seven people the night before. Dangerous, desperate, and armed, he promises Honor that she and her daughter won't be hurt as long as she does everything he asks. She has no choice but to accept him at his word.

But Honor soon discovers that even those close to her can't be trusted. Coburn claims that her beloved late husband possessed something extremely valuable that places Honor and her daughter in grave danger. Coburn is there to retrieve it - at any cost. From FBI offices in Washington, D.C., to a rundown shrimp boat in coastal Louisiana, Coburn and Honor run for their lives from the very people sworn to protect them, and unravel a web of corruption and depravity that threatens not only them, but the fabric of our society.

©2011 Sandra Brown (P)2011 Hachette

Fantastic!

Where does Lethal rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Lethal ranks among my top 5.

What did you like best about this story?

Story kept your attention by alot of twists, turns and constant action.

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

Great ability to portray the right emotions at the right time. A great plus having that deep even tone that added sensuality during the intimate interactions between the two main protagonists.

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

This book was a one sitting read. I did not want to put it down.

Any additional comments?

This was my first Sandra Brown book and I was extreamly impressed! One does not come across an author that can keep the story flowing so well with so many twists and turns. I will be looking much closer at some of her other works.
Slezak was also an added plus. He has the ability portray many parts in a believable and articulate manner.
GREAT BOOK!

28 of 29 people found this review helpful

Sandra Brown Never Lets Her Readers Down

I had not read a Sandra Brown book in a while, but after "reading" Lethal, I am definately hooked again. Her characters are "real", her plots are mysterious and her love "scenes" leave you panting for more. Keep up the great work Ms. Brown. I am a fan for life!

20 of 21 people found this review helpful

Won't Kill You with Suspense

What did you like best about Lethal? What did you like least?

Best: Sardra Brown creates great heroes of both genders as well as an endearing little girl for this story. The erotica (sounds classier than 'sex scenes'), an inevitable part of any Brown title, is/are fairly light and more discreetly written than in her previous books. The basic premise of this book, run and hide, is so simple you'll never be confused. Least: We've been here before. This situation, pretty vulnerable girl stuck with handsome but dangerous man has been used for (at least) two other Brown titles. Also, very little really happens - the book is one slow paced chase from the "bad guys" while looking for information which is central to the plot. The story does have a few twists. (What Brown call refers to as "gotcha" moments on her web site) but they are too little too late to make the book fascinating.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

I think Brown wrote herself into a corner on this one I would have spent more time exploring all the characters Also I would have the big plot twist mid way though the story instead of at the end where they feel tacked on and more than just a bit contrived. I'd say more but it would act as a spoiler.

Which character – as performed by Victor Slezak – was your favorite?

Slezak always does an excellent job particularly with menacing tones. He hits every sentence with the perfect note.

Do you think Lethal needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Not to this one. As a professional Brown cranks out books on schedule, she's prolific. A few are great, many are good, some are just okay. Lethal is not a BAD book, it held my attention and I was entertained. It was just not outstandingly good. If this is your first Sandra Brown title read another first. If you you like her style you won't dislike this book. She's written worse.

Any additional comments?

I'm surprised most people gave this book four stars. A lot of one's final perception (of books or movies) is based on one's initial expectations. Apparently mine were set unreasonably high which nearly always leads to disappointment.

13 of 14 people found this review helpful

Great book, great narrator

Sandra Brown specializes in the wronged, seemingly villainous hero who strikes fear and loathing in the hearts of everyone but that one special woman, and she sure has a knack for torturously testing his heroism until justice prevails. In Lethal, deep undercover FBI agent (c’mon, you didn’t really believe he was a mass murderer) Lee Coburn is about to discover the identity of a particularly nasty criminal mastermind known as The Bookkeeper when all hell breaks loose. Coburn is set up as the shooter when seven people are executed by the Bookkeepers’ minions. He flees straight into a Louisiana swamp, to be found lying muddy and blood-smeared in the yard of widow Honor Gillette by her four-year old daughter Emily.

Coburn strong-arms Honor inside at gun point and demands to search her house. At first Honor fears the worst; that she and Emily will be victimized by a brutal stranger. Grudgingly, Coburn promises Honor that he won’t harm her or her daughter if she’ll help him find evidence against the Bookkeeper, evidence that he believes Honor’s late police officer husband had collected and hidden. Honor is torn when Coburn alleges that the local police are dirty, enmeshed in collusion and cover-up. Coburn convinces Honor that going underground with him is her only chance to survive and to prove her late husband’s innocence. And thus begins the thriller part of this most excellent thriller.

Brown weaves a complex mystery with a large cast of characters, villains, and possible villains thick on the ground. I wasn’t sure who was good or a player in the conspiracy for most of the book and, dang, she got me again with a diabolical twist that I did not see coming. I confess that I didn’t correctly guess the Bookkeeper’s identity, although on a second listen I realized that the clues were there.

Victor Slezak reading Sandra Brown epitomizes my idea of a perfect audiobook. He gets the cranky, I-don’t-need-no-love outlier with a secret, mushy center exactly right. Thank you, Victor, for simply reading women’s dialogue, never doing that falsetto, breathy thing that so many male narrators are guilty of. An absolutely delightful bonus is Slezak’s voicing of chatty, precocious four-year old Emily, who shamelessly flirts with our perplexed hero. Yes! He pulled it off! 100 bonus points for that alone.

Oh, and the epilogue? It's perfect. Just perfect.

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19 of 21 people found this review helpful

Score!!!

First let me say what a wonderful narrator Victor Slezak is. His performance of this story was top notch. I will be looking for more books narrated by him. I was very impressed.

This story was sooo gooood. I didn't want to stop listening. I did not see this person being the Bookkeeper at all. But it does make a weird kind of sense. Usually books of this length have some filler spots, but not this one. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time wondering what was going to happen next.

Thank you Sandra this was a fantastic read.

10 of 11 people found this review helpful

Entertaining - suspense, mystery, romance

This novel was a "page turner" for me. The plot moved quickly and the main characters were people I could care about, which made it hard to stop listening. For the most part, I was able to suspend disbelief and enjoy the ride. It was a five star book until the ending, which was just too unbelievable, even though I could see it coming. But still, it was a fun listen overall.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Very Good!

About halfway through and I can't put it down!! I've always loved Sandra Brown, and this one lives up to the bar she's set for herself!

9 of 10 people found this review helpful

Simply Awesome!

Would you listen to Lethal again? Why?

Yes, simply because I love the story as a whole and especially the connection the between Coburn and Honor.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Lethal?

There were so many memorable parts because none of it was boring and full of dialogue just to fill space. Two of my most memorable parts were the love scene between Coburn and Honor(HOT!!!) and the scene in the epilogue when Coburn is at the airport waiting on the love of his life and Emily.

Which character – as performed by Victor Slezak – was your favorite?

Coburn was my favorite character

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

Definitely!!! If I could I would have but with work and family I had to break it up. :-(

Any additional comments?

I love Sandra Brown's novels. I stray and read/listen to other books to discover another author that may appeal to me as she does, but I always come back to her books. She never lets me down. Her stories are always so thrilling, intense suspensful and full of twists and turns. And I can't end this review without saying something about the narrator, Victor Slezak. He is Awesome!!! His voice brings the characters to life. His version of the female's voice is right on point and he doesn't over do it all.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Such high hopes......

Envy by Sandra Brown is one of my favorite books of all time!! So cleaver and descriptive! I fell in love with Parker Evans from the beginning and didn't figure anything out until it was revealed to me! Chill factor is a close 2nd favorite book. From there it has been downhill for me with Sandra Brown. She tries, but nothing has come close for me since Envy and Chill Factor. This story was unbelievable and I couldn't wait for it to be over! I did enjoy Victor Slezak however, because he is also the narrator for Envy, but not enough that I will ever listen to this again.

10 of 12 people found this review helpful

Credit Worthy

I am big fan of Sandra Brown and narrator victor Slezak! It's very well written and engaging through to the end. The only reason I didn't give this a 5 star is because I figured out the "who done it" in the very last half of the book. Never the less... the characters are well developed and for the most part believable. I don't feel that it was too overly sexual or brutal. It's a story that will take you on a great ride with a loose seat belt. Enjoy!

6 of 7 people found this review helpful