Rogue Island

By: Bruce DeSilva

Narrated by: Jeff Woodman, Bruce DeSilva - introduction

Length: 7 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

Liam Mulligan is as old school as a newspaper man gets. His beat is Providence, Rhode Island, and he knows every street and alley. He knows the priests and prostitutes, the cops and street thugs. He knows the mobsters and politicians - who are pretty much one and the same. Someone is systematically burning down the neighborhood Mulligan grew up in, people he knows and loves are perishing in the flames, and the public is on the verge of panic. With the police looking for answers in all the wrong places, and with the whole city of Providence on his back, Mulligan must find the hand that strikes the match.

BONUS AUDIO: Includes an exclusive introduction written and read by author Bruce DeSilva.

©2010 Bruce DeSilva (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Edgar Award, Best First Novel, 2011
• Macavity Award, Best First Mystery Novel, 2011

"This tremendously entertaining crime novel is definitely one of the best of the year." (Booklist)

"The smallest state bursts with crime, corruption, wisecracks, and neo-noir atmosphere in Bruce DeSilva's blistering debut." (Kirkus Reviews)

"Rogue Island 'has raised the bar for all books of its kind.'" (The Dallas Morning News)

Very good!

A new author to me, happy to have come across this one as a Daily Deal. (So pleased with Audible for offering 'Daily Deals' -- it lets us test run new authors or genres without a major investment. I've found some awfully good listens this way -- new authors I'll be looking for in the future.)

Like this one: "Rogue Island" is a good solid detective story, lots of fascinating trivia about Rhode Island, which was fun -- who knew?

Downside? A little too much baseball lore. For those of us who don't either know or care much about professional sports, at times it felt like I was listening to someone else's conversation, most of which was going over my head. The names of players being tossed around were all foreign to me, and I kept wondering of there were clues there, that I was missing. (There may have been -- I still don't know.)

Another curious thing that puzzled me throughout the entire book: DeSilva has a lawyer character -- a bad apple -- playing a prominent role. He names this character "Brady Coyle", and has him based in Boston. Which is very strange, because the protagonist of the best-selling -- 24 books strong -- legal thriller/detective series by William Tapply is a Boston lawyer named Brady Coyle. Tapply's "Brady Coyle" is a good guy, big time. DeSilva's is a crook.

Why would a new author do that? Steal the name, profession and even home base of another author's well-known fictional character, but make his new character the exact opposite of the original one?

What? There aren't enough names to go around?

Funny, too, because until very recently, there was a triumvirate of detective fiction writers based more or less in Boston, who -- in real life -- were close friends: Tapply, Phillip R. Craig and his Martha's Vineyard series, and Rick Boyer with his Doc Adams tales. Tapply and Craig are now, sadly, deceased, Boyer is still writing. But because all three loved fishing, and because they write the same general genre, set in more or less the same locale, it was common for one writer's characters to appear, playing walk-on parts in another author's book. So Tapply's lawyer Coyle already had a reputation for turning up in Phillip Craig's books, and in those by Rick Boyer. Which meant that when DeSilva introduced his own "Brady Coyle" there was every reason to believe this WAS the same Tapply character -- except that it wasn't. A needless confusion, I'd say. No point to it at all.

Other than that, it was an enjoyable listen -- great narrator, too. I'll be looking for more by these two.

Pow---Er--Fully Wonderful!

Let me get the narration and production out of the way first. Terrific. Okay, now for the plot... It works on every level. More twists than Whoopie Goldberg's locks. Characters? Every one, even those only on the phone... worked. And when I say worked... I meant the all did heavy lifting. This book made me want to cut out the world and just listen. Can't write more, I'm off to find the next Bruce DeSilva novel. Oh BTW... look at my reviews... I'm a HARD grader... and look... LOOK! FIVE STARS. Wheeeee.... :-)

Maybe its a guy thing?

Seems the author is trying too hard to be a skirt chasing, tough talking, lover of movie cliches (who can't understand why younger people don't know the lines from old movies) reporter. A little too much objectifying of women for my taste. Decent plot, and I finished it, which is saying something, but I probably won't read any more from this author. (I love books and 3 stars is about as low as I go unless the book is written by Ann Coulter or something, which of course I'd never read.)

Good Story

If you could sum up Rogue Island in three words, what would they be?

Great background story for a long drive through Iowa and Wisconsin.....

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

No... but still good

Ultimately boring

I think this novel is supposed to be a throwback to a hardboiled reporter/investigator, but I found myself completely uninterested in either the characters or plot. Minus some sleeping though parts (which I had no desire to go back to) I made it though the novel. Not terrible in any way. But won't be reading any other novels by t his author

Just okay

There's nothing new here. It is a likeable story but would not recommend to people looking for interesting story, action or twists.

as good as it gets

unbelievably superb and delightful mystery from a first time author, but the narrator is BRILLIANT!!!! what a treat from start to finish

Great fun!

I am not certain why the overall rating of this book as I write this is under 4.0 because the majority of those writing reviews clearly enjoyed the book. And I don't think it is just a guy thing to like Rogue Island because I am an old lady giving it a 5. I enjoyed the regional nature of the characters and the humor. On top of that, I thought it was a decent who done it. Great literature it is not but a very entertaining listen it is.

You won't feel like you wasted your time at all.

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

It's probably about 4th or 5th highest.

What other book might you compare Rogue Island to and why?

I fear I may be insulting the book if I compared to other mystery/thriller novels out there, since it's probably better than most like it; a genuinely interesting mystery with more believable characters and relationships than you would expect. Minimalist writing with the appropriate amount of swearing and powerful imagery make it stand out from it's cluttered genre.

Which scene was your favorite?

When Rosie walks out of the burning building cradling that helmet...

I love this narrator

This is a good series. I enjoy the character and the narrator is great. Its a short listen, which I neither like or dislike. I would like more, but the story isn't missing anything so I am on the fence. Can't wait for more from DeSilva.