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)

Definitely worth a shot

Any additional comments?

Soon after starting, I thought 'is this really worth one of my precious credits?' But I kept going and started to like it, and then a lot. It's not groundbreaking, but it's a well-written detective story, with great characters, not the least of whom is the narrator (a hard-bitten but likable old-school journalist, much, I expect, like Mr. DeSilva), rendered beautifully by Mr. Woodman (OK, a lapse of Rhode Island accent now and then, but never forced), with unexpected (at least to me) plot developments. It's very New England but would probably translate well to readers in other regions, especially Red Sox fans. I'd have upped the stars to fives, had "Deliverance" not just wrecked the curve. I hope Audible gives us the author's "Cliff Walk" soon.

Ho-Hum Category

This was just an average book. Some good parts, some boring parts. Not a total waste of a credit, but nothing too exciting either. What can I say, the characters didn't draw me in or excite me.

+-A good fast listen

What made the experience of listening to Rogue Island the most enjoyable?

The character in the book, the narator, and the subject matter.

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

neon

Which character – as performed by Jeff Woodman and Bruce DeSilva (Introduction) – was your favorite?

the main

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

no

Any additional comments?

a really fun listen

Very Entertaining!

This was my first book by this author. I enjoyed the story and the bits of humor interjected; the narrator's performance was excellent. My only recommendation to the author for future books is to limit the amount of sports talk. Many of us reading these books are not sports fans and are not familiar with the players, teams, etc. I enjoyed the mystery and although you could figure out much of it, that didn't detract from the story. I loved the ending, which is important to me (to have an ending that ties up all loose ends and doesn't leave you either hanging or depressed). All and all this is a very good book and I would highly recommend it.

Classic Whodunnit

I had some serious doubts about this one. Not a big fan of reporter based crime stories but wow was I wrong. And the narrator does a simply superb job as well. This may (I hope) be the first book in a great series, and a welcome addition to my authors list now that we have lost Robert Parker's Spenser series. Give "Rogue Island" a try, if you like really good mystery/crime with characters that are pretty well developed, this is for you

A Cynics Mystery

This is basically a mystery with cynicism not only at its heart, but at the heart of the hero, such as he is.

What's not to love?

Any additional comments?

A hard-boiled newsman who knows he’s a dinosaur in the internet age, but will not let go of his profession, a man who loves women but not too wisely, and a narrator,Woodman-, who gives wonderful insight into the characters--what’s not to love? Mulligan has flaws and the reader can see what lies ahead before he does, but DiSilva’s hero is so likeable and interesting we just shake our head and say ”Mulligan, we coulda warned ya,” and continue on the journey with him. Yep, I’ll be reading further in this series.

Good Yarn

This was a great book to listen to while on the road. The story line is well developed and most of the characters are believable. It was neither life-changing nor though-provoking, but a great way to pass the time. Part of that character development is due to the skill of the narrator. He did a great job with the various voices and accents. The accents were present, but not overwhelming or stereotypical.

Great Story

Good book, had some great twist I will be getting the rest of this series

Greater than the sum of it's parts

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

Rhode Island Idolized

Would you be willing to try another book from Bruce DeSilva? Why or why not?

Yes. His feel for characterization is very strong, with novel plot lines.. The pace & dialogue rolls along.

Did Jeff Woodman and Bruce DeSilva (Introduction) do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

Yes. Different tempo & accent for each character.

Any additional comments?

A good listen. Some slightly implausible plot lines, but this IS a fiction. It's placed strongly in a locale that was fascinating to me. Not great literature, but it captured my attention from the beginning and kept me involved to the end.