Murder 101

A Decker/Lazarus Novel

By: Faye Kellerman

Narrated by: Richard Ferrone

New York Times bestselling author Faye Kellerman's beloved Decker and Lazarus embark on a new life in upstate New York—and find themselves entangled in deception, intrigue, and murder in an elite, picturesque college town.

As a detective lieutenant with the LAPD, Peter Decker witnessed enough ugliness and chaos for a lifetime. Now he and his spirited wife, Rina Lazarus, are ready to enjoy the quiet beauty of upstate New York, where they can be closer to their four adult children, grandchildren, and their foster son, Gabe.

But working for the Greenbury Police Department isn't as fulfilling as Decker hoped. While Rina has adapted beautifully to their new surroundings, Decker is underwhelmed and frustrated by his new partner, Tyler McAdams, a former Harvard student and young buck with a bad attitude. Just when he thinks he's made a mistake, Decker is called to an actual crime—a possible break-in at the local cemetery.

The call seems like a false alarm until it's discovered that a mausoleum's stunning Tiffany panels have been replaced by forgeries. Soon the case escalates into murder: a co-ed at an exclusive consortium of liberal-arts colleges is brutally slaughtered. Poking into the hallowed halls of academia to find a killer, Decker and McAdams are drawn deep into a web of nasty secrets, cold-case crimes, international intrigue, and ruthless people who kill for sport.

Suddenly Decker's job is anything but boring, and the case might be too much to handle for a sleepy town that hasn't seen a murder for nearly a quarter century. Decker will need to use every bit of his keen mind, his thirty years of experience as a homicide cop, and much-appreciated help from family and old friends to stop a callous killer and uncover a cabal so bizarre that it defies logic.

wrong narrator for these characters

the story was entertaining as always, but this narrator sucked the life out of the characters. they all sounded the same.

If You Hate Change, Listen Anyway

Any additional comments?

I waited over two years before giving this a listen. I'm completely unfair to most authors of series novels - I allow them some minute character development and growth book-to-book, but for the most part I like to come back to "familiar" - it's why I've been such a fan of Ms Kellerman's (and her husband's) books over the years. When I saw in the synopsis that Decker had retired to New York and cold and snow (without consulting me!), I couldn't bring myself to spend the credit - until now. Ms Kellerman took a leap, and she did it well. We get a whole cast of newbies along with weaving in some old friends, and she hasn't lost her ability to tell the tale. Now I've got some catching up to do!

STORY WAS ALL OVER THE PLACE

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

No. Although Richard Ferrone does a fine job even he couldn't save this one. The plot is all over the place, stretched beyond belief with a confusing ending.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Murder 101?

Having a would-be killer break into Decker's home.

What about Richard Ferrone’s performance did you like?

Richard Ferrone's voice is remarkable. He brought life to the story.

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

No. I listened to it quickly but not in one sitting.

Narrated by Hell's Angels

This was one of the best and amazing stories written by Faye Kellerman. why on earth would you skimp and hand it off to this narrater who sounds like he smokes 3 packs a day and has very little variation in his voice between the rich group of characters.

Not the Best Narration

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

As with the other books in the Decker/Lazarus it is a worth while read. I would recommend it as a paper book rather than this audio version.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

The ending resolved the plot line in a satisfying manner.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Richard Ferrone?

I would have cast George Guidall. In my mind he is the voices of Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus. Mr. Ferrone did not differentiate the voices, especially the female voices, enough to follow many of the conversations easily.

Could you see Murder 101 being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

It would make a good movie. The area of up state New York would have lovely locations and New York city locations are always exciting.