Mr. Smith and the Roach

By: J.J. DiBenedetto

Narrated by: Chris Dale

Length: 6 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's Summary

John Smith has a problem. He’s a retired cop whose pension just got wiped out, and he doesn’t know why or how. Now, he needs to find a roommate to help pay the bills.   

Sam has a problem. He’s a six-foot-tall talking cockroach, and he doesn’t know who created him, or why, or how. Now, he needs a place to live.

Thrown together as roommates and amateur detectives, Mr. Smith and the Roach realize their problems might be related. But those problems are far more complicated than they imagined, and before all is said and done, they’ll run afoul of a Russian gangster, an imprisoned Mafia don, a crooked Wall Street banker, a mad scientist, and maybe worst of all, Mr. Smith’s baby sister.

Can they get to the bottom of an unbelievable plot before someone exterminates the Roach - and Mr. Smith - for good?

©2018 James J DiBenedetto (P)2018 James J DiBenedetto

FALL IN LOVE WITH A ROACH! (yes, I mean it)

MR. SMITH AND THE ROACH is a stand-alone detective story, though it was left open enough that it could be developed into a series. I hope Mr. DiBenedetto would consider doing so.

Mr. Smith lives three floors down from Jane Barnaby, but she is out of town and her sister is using the apartment. After listening to this book, I’m dying to jump back and know Jane better even though this is not a part of her series.

Who would think that I would enjoy a book with an insect as one of the main characters – especially a roach! – but I absolutely loved this fun detective story

Narration: I don’t know accents well enough to tell you where Chris Dale is from, but it certainly isn’t middle of America. My guess would be somewhere in England, but his is not one of the accents that I am accustom to hearing. It was very nice to listen to his voice. He gives excellent pronunciation, enunciation, intonation, and characterization. His name on a book would be a reason to pick it up.

Note: While I received this book as a gifted audiobook copy, my opinions are my own and are given freely.


Title: MR. SMITH AND THE ROACH
Series: Mr. Smith and the Roach #1
Category /Genre: Fantasy Suspense
Recommended for: 14 + due to vocabulary
Listenability: OK for ears
Received from: J.J. DiBenedetto (as an Audible gifted copy)

Slow start

I found that the first couple of chapters were a little far fetched. However, the author kept this theme going and pulled the story from far fetched to a rather funny running theme. I like the characters, they were sympathetic and intelligent with Sam, wearing a hat and a pair of gloves, being the Superman of cockroaches.
All in all well worth listening to. Let your imagination free and Enjoy!
P.S. Looking forward to book 2.

A quirky, fun mystery

Mr Smith and the Roach is a quirky, fun mystery with an interesting cast of characters. The entertaining story is a bit different, but well worth reading!

The narrator does a very good job at creating an engaging rendition of the book.

I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Mr Smith

Loved it!What an inventive story!So many twists and turns,you must pay attention. Chris Dale was the perfect narrator. I was given this book by the narrator,author or publisher free for an honest review.

Entertaining

This is not the kind of book I would normally go for but despite that, I did enjoy the story. It was fun and I liked most of the characters. The plot moves along at a good pace and the narration and production were both good. Good listen if you like detective stories with unusual characters. I was given a copy of this audiobook for an honest and unbiased review.