Campanelli: The Ping Tom Affair

By: Frederick H. Crook

Narrated by: Tom Cooper

Length: 2 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

It is 2109 in Chicago and a double murder is discovered in Ping Tom Memorial Park. Investigating the crime is Frank Campanelli, a blind homicide detective who relies on bio-electronics to see and do his job. Together with his partner, Marcus Williams, a former Navy SEAL, the pair discovers that one of the two victims is the son of the local boss of the Tong, the most powerful Chinese gang in the city.

Tensions among the Tong, the other Chinese gangs, and factions of the mob rise as no one truly knows who is responsible. It is up to Detectives Campanelli and Williams to find the murderer before a gang war envelopes the city in this dystopian future.

©2013 Frederick H. Crook (P)2017 Frederick H. Crook

wtf

audible seems to be hiding this author. what gives I need fifteen words no one will ever see. enough.

Good noir detective story.

Would you recommend Campanelli: The Ping Tom Affair to your friends? Why or why not?

Yes. Couple of my friends like this sort of stories. I will definitely recommend this book to them.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

Yes, the narrator did a good job that way.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Not really. This sort of stories are good for books or maybe a mini-series on tv. Not really a movie material.

Any additional comments?

The Chinese gang, the murder mystery and impending war - all gave the book a mix of daredevil and gotham vibes. At places, the "set in future" plot sounded like it is setup like that just for the heck of it. But otherwise, the story was passable as an ok, one time listen.

A review copy was gifted to me at no charge. In return, I am happy to provide an honest review. Also at no charge.

P.K.D-ish sciFI plaice procedural

Well done, Frederick H. Crook. A taught dark futuristic story that will stay with you long after Tom Cooper,s fine narration is over. A good effort all around with the promise of more to come. I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

An interesting way to create a semi-deserted world

This book is based after the majority of the earths population has left earth to settle on a new planet. The shift in population has had a distinct impact on the people who remain on earth with many things previously taken for granted now expensive, rare or of lesser quality/technology. The world building is impressive and seems like it could be real.

It's in this world that we meet Campanelli a police detective who is trying to solve the murder of the son of a Chinese crime family. The setting makes the story more interesting and creates twists that I wasn't expecting.

The book is stand alone so you don't need to have read other related books. While it is essentially a mystery book it also contains sci-fi elements because it's based in earths future.

Tom's narration was nice and smooth and I liked how he did the character voices.

This book was supplied free by the author/narrator/publisher and I voluntarily wrote this honest review.

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Blind detective is kicking butt & taking names

Set in Chicago in 2109, Detective Frank Campanelli and his partner Detective Marcus Williams are investigating the death of two men. One is identified as a son, Wong, of a leading Chinese criminal family. The crime scene is lacking the expected amount of blood and this simple clue sets Campanelli and Williams on a hunt for a killer. Hopefully they will be able to catch the perpetrator before a war can break out between the lead criminal families of Chicago.

First, I really enjoyed Frank Campanelli. He’s blind and uses cybernetic implants to mimic eyesight, allowing him to live an independent and pretty normal life. This gives him a little different way of looking at some things, giving him the occasional edge in his work. He’s chosen to stay on Earth while much of the population has left for another habitable planet, Alethea. The whole story has a noir detective feel but it’s set in this kind of grungy future Chicago with cool SF tech. This mash up works really well for me.

Campanelli isn’t new to the area. He has contacts and relationships with people in the area, including Lei Wong, whose son has just turned up dead. He knows the best forensics people and his partner, Williams, is a gengineered navy SEAL. Despite Lei Wong being this crime boss, the author makes him very human. Campanelli has to deliver news of his son’s death. Despite Lei’s need to keep a strong face on, Campanelli can still see how this news pains him.

Now, there are few ladies present in this story and I wish there were a few more and they were doing something besides being romantic interests. Tam, Frank’s part-time girlfriend, has potential to be more in future books. I did like the main forensics lady and her geeky ways. The pacing of the story and the mystery were all good until right at the end. Now I didn’t mind the whodunit part but I did feel that the big reveal was rushed and it was very convenient for a character to provide all the answers. I would have liked the detectives to have sorted most of it out for themselves.

I received a free copy of this book.

The Narration: Tom Cooper did a pretty good job with this book. He’s great at playing a male noir detective. He also had a decent voice for Marcus Williams. I did have a little trouble hearing distinctions between the characters here and there, especially with minor characters. He was good at an elderly Lei Wong and his pacing was good as well. His female characters could use a bit more femininity.

It's Noirish, It's Chi Town, It's 2109 A.D.

What did you love best about Campanelli: The Ping Tom Affair?

I like Noir. This was a futuristic setting with futuristic scientific equipment. Forget about that though. The mystery was well done. I liked the writing and wish for more!

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

It did actually. That's hard to do too. The setting was unique and as such left the story development wide open.

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

I haven't. He did a very good job. Clear speaking voice, good dramatic timing, good distinctive voice for the individual characters.
He didn't get in the way of the story. That's a complement. I listen to a lot of audio books where the narrator over shadows the story telling. Often it detracts from my enjoyment and the gist of a book. Tom Cooper did a good job!

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

The book entertained me. I wish it were longer.

Any additional comments?

I appreciate the opportunity to listen to and review this work.

I would like to see the work lengthened and developed further! This is a very good short story. I liked the characters and the setting and the type of writing.


FOR THOSE THAT THIS IS IMPORTANT: THERE ARE SOME PROFANITIES. They didn't distract from the story for me or was I bothered by it. Just a HEADS UP!

A review copy was gifted to me at no charge. In return, I am happy to provide an honest review. Also at no charge.