Auburn Ride

A Johnny Delarosa Thriller

By: David Stever

Narrated by: Bill Lord

Welcome to Port City!

Private investigator Johnny Delarosa has seen it all. First as a cop, and now as a private eye. Cheating spouses, embezzlements, and insurance scams are routine. But he meets his match when the alluring, auburn-haired Claire Dixon walks into his bar/office and drops a $20,000 retainer in his lap. She wants the hard-drinking Johnny to find $2 million that was stolen from her mobster family 30 years earlier. But $2 million can be motivating. Old mobsters come out of witness protection to claim their share, and when bodies begin to pile up, and his sexy, enigmatic client disappears, Johnny is taken on the ride of his life; an Auburn Ride. With a wink and a nod to the hard-boiled private eyes of the pulp noir past, the gritty streets of Port City set the stage for author David Stever's first thriller in the Delarosa series.

©2016 David Anthony Stever (P)2017 David Anthony Stever

Loved it!

I absolutely love discovering a new author, a new character, and a new narrator!!! This book delivered on all counts.

The story had some delicious levels of intrigue and mirth and it was a non-stop thrill to the very end. Delarosa took a page out of how to be a badass and I liked this character instantly. The narrator was something special. Bill Lord made Delarosa manly but with a soft spot that was very personal and relatable.

Everything you like about listening to audiobooks is in this listen...with spades!

Entertaining P.I story

This story of a former police officer turned private investigator is a pretty fun read. The author mixes in enough intrigue, sexiness, and thrills to keep it lively. A recommended book for those who enjoy an investigative type of story but don't want over-the-top violence or gratuitous behavior. The narrator was not particularly to my taste, but I'm sure that some people will think that he is great. I'm not sure exactly what it reminded me of but somehow came across as someone trying too hard to be a P.I from the 1960's.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Good listen

I received this book for free for an honest review.

I actually enjoyed the story a lot. It took a little while to get me hooked because the narrator is a little too whimsical sounding for a mob story but once the story took off it was fine. This book has a little bit of intrigue and almost romance all rolled into one. It's definitely worth a listen!!

Entertaining!

This was my first David Stever's book. Auburn Ride is the first book in the Delarosa Series, a great thriller. Private investigator Johnny Delarosa is an amazing character! The secondary characters are great, and they have an important part in the story. The mystery is well built, and unfold at a great pace. The storyline has it all!: action, danger, suspense, mystery, and secrets. I like the little romance and the humor along the story. Bill Lord is a new narrator to me. He did a great job with the narration. He has a great voice, and the characters were easy to distinguish. I enjoyed it. Looking forward for the next book in the Series. I was given a free review copy of the audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Just gritty enough; just sexy enough; a fun ride

This has all the makings and characters of a modern detective story. Hardened ex-cops, sexy ladies, mobsters, money, and revenge all work together for a fun and exciting listen. The is just enough violence to make it realistic without being brutal, just enough near sex scenes to make it very suggestive without becoming vulgar, and plenty of twists and turns. The story concludes with a satisfying ending that is, for the most part, unpredictable. Although this isn't my favorite genre, I really enjoyed the listen and, at least to me, was the epitome of a modern detective story that still held the essence of the old-time stories as it was not about sensationalized sex and violence for the mere sake of it. Pretty tame language, too.

The only suggestion I have for the new listener is to give the narrator a chance and his delivery will grow on you. He does a great job with character voices, but his tempo took me a few chapters to get used to, though it was well worth the wait.

I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys detective/cop/mob stories. A review copy of this audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in return for this unbiased review. My hope is that this review helps in your decision to obtain this book.