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)

Rogue Island

After a slow start the story came alive and though it wasn't the most riveting story I've heard it was good.

I almost got my RI accent back listening to this!

This is an entertaining book to listen to. I couldn't tell what I liked better, the RI accent in the narration or the fast moving, fun and tantalizing story that Mr DeSilva wrote. His characters are unique and his description of the little known RI details, that you wouldn't know unless you lived there, are so spot on, I found myself smiling through most of the book, if not out right laughing. I can't wait to download the next one and be entertained some more.

Engrossing and hard to put down.

What did you love best about Rogue Island?

The inclusion of so many characters.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Rogue Island?

When the lawyer behind everything was eliminated.

Have you listened to any of Jeff Woodman and Bruce DeSilva (Introduction) ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No

Any additional comments?

I will buy his second book! In my wish kist.

Narragansett Noir

When you live in California, Rhode Island is a rarely thought of, very distant, very small state. It seems somehow mysterious, with its deep inlets, islands and bays that give a very small place (its area is roughly 28 miles by 40 miles) almost 400 miles of coastline.

When I listened to Bruce DeSilva's "Rogue Island" (2010), I realized that the state's stubborn secretiveness and in-your-face independence is intrinsic. Liam Mulligan, DeSilva's locally born and raised investigative reporter, knows everyone, or knows someone who does. In a state of just over a million people, there's really only one degree of separation - no plot tropes needed.

Mulligan fits some of the hard-boiled stereotypes. Drinks Maker's Mark, when he's not babying an ulcer with club soda. Smokes Cuban cigars, smuggled in by an old neighborhood friend who's a bookie. Loves, loves, loves the Boston Red Sox - which is an endless lesson in hope, rarely followed by anything but crushing disappointment. The hopelessness mirrors the dying newspaper Mulligan writes for.

Mulligan's women fit the hardboiled detective/fiction noir stereotypes. The femme fatale. The oversexed best buddy. The amazon warrior. They are cutout characters, and sometimes interchangeable. A few times I had to think carefully about a girl's background to remember her part in the story.

I got a kick out of some of the quirks of some very minor characters. I was amused by the paranoid, stalking, swearing and often heard but never seen ex-wife Dorcas.

Jeff Woodman's accent sounded pure Eastern Massachusetts to me, which makes sense - Providence, RI is 50 miles from Boston.

I'll definitely read/listen to more in the series.

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One of the best books I have read!!!

This first novel is clever, the characters are well developed and sometimes hilarious, and the descriptions of life in Providence, RI are not to be missed if you are from New England. The plot is well developed with a surprising and satisfying conclusion. The narration is excellent and fast paced. A must read, very unlike the bestseller formulaic mysteries you see prominently displayed at the bookstore-- and minus the gore. I laughed many times at the dialogue and you will too!

Old School Crime Drama

I really enjoyed this story written from the viewpoint of a newspaper reporter investigating fires being set in Rhode Island. The small town mob and crime scene, the history of the area and even the cigar smoking set the stage for a very interesting tale. I'm not at all familiar with that area of the country, so this was a first for me, and a fun break from my usual preferred "southern settings". The twists and turns kept me listening and very satisfying end.

Witty and Fast Paced

Here's a case where the audiobook format truly enhances the written word. Jeff Woodman delivers the narrative with the New England tone, cadence and humor that makes this a wonderful book to enjoy. Of course, the actual brilliance comes from the hand of the author Bruce DeSilva.

I'm hooked and going directly to use my credit for Cliff Walk!

Good Noir

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

Yes. It's a good fast listen.

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

Yes although it wasn't to hard to figure where it was going.

What about Jeff Woodman and Bruce DeSilva (Introduction) ’s performance did you like?

The reading was good.

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

What happens to the photographer.

Any additional comments?

Mr. DeSilva has studied all the great noir mystery writers and has the style down cold. He tells a good story and has a great sense of place, Providence RI. What he doesn't have is an original voice. This sometimes has a, paint by the numbers feel. Still, it kept me listening to the end to find out what happens next.

Enjoyable

Good newshound mystery with humor. This narrator has more voice changes than any I've heard. Incredibly good voice changes. I see this is the first of three. I put the next one on my wish list.

You'll like it if you know RI

The book captures the scuzzy political landscape and the crazed Red Sox nation in a very well narrated story. Usually attempts at the local accent are grating but this one gets it right. Nothing mind shattering but an easy listen