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Undertow  By  cover art

Undertow

By: Sydney Bauer
Narrated by: Bill Ten Eyck
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Editorial reviews

Bill Ten Eyck gives a riveting performance of Australian writer Sydney Bauer’s best-selling debut crime novel, Undertow. His conversational delivery and warm manner create a pleasurable listening experience. Christina Hayes, the teenage daughter of a US Senator, drowns after a conversation with African American attorney Rayna Martin. Shortly after, Rayna is arrested for murder. Lawyer David Cavanaugh takes on the case, and plunges into a tangled web of lies, blackmail, threats, and violence. Was this merely a tragic accident? Or is something more insidious lurking under the surface?

Publisher's summary

Following an alleged conversation between respected attorney Rayna Martin and teenager Christina Hayes, one of them is dead, the other arrested for their murder. Boston lawyer David Cavanaugh faces his toughest case to date when what appears to be a tragic accident turns into something else entirely. David soon finds that his most dangerous battle is taking place outside the courtroom.

Lies, deception, blackmail, threats...and finally the precision of an assassin's bullet combine to create a shocking finale in this suspenseful debut from Sydney Bauer.

©2008 Sydney Bauer (P)2008 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd.

Critic reviews

"Compelling from start to finish." (Richard North Patterson)

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What listeners say about Undertow

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Ed
  • 12-10-08

Ten Eyck does a great Jack Nicholson

The most memorable thing about this listen is that narrator Bill Ten Eyck does a dead-on Jack Nicholson when speaking for the evil assistant district attorney. Bauer's characters are hyperbolic and the story strains credulity. Ordinarily that wouldn't doom a novel and it really didn't doom this one. But I think Bauer could have told a more compelling story without creating characters that were hard to fathom. The story wasn't a particularly good one, some of the premises were preposterous but my desire to see "good" prevail kept me listening and rooting. In this classic good versus evil story I also would have preferred a winner-take-most conclusion. I'm not sure we got one. Two stars without the Nicholson impression to keep me entertained.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Courtroom reality

Interesting premise with an expected but surprise ending. Lack of reality of courtroom scenes was distracting. A little legal research or advice from a trial attorney would have been a help.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

race baiting novel

Would you try another book from Sydney Bauer and/or Bill Ten Eyck?

no

What could Sydney Bauer have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

nothing, overall plot is very weak

What three words best describe Bill Ten Eyck’s performance?

struggle,novice,sorry

Do you think Undertow needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

no once is enough....a tired plot, well worn out

Any additional comments?

enough said.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting switch

I liked this book. It's pretty well written and read, plus it has an interesting twist on the racial bias so often claimed today. Add to that some teenage angst, a corrupt politician, a pair of decent lawyers, and a truly incompetent ADA, and you have a very good listen.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

I had already read the book.

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

Mot readers of crime novels

Has Undertow turned you off from other books in this genre?

No - definitely not.-

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Bill Ten Eyck?

No-one - he was good.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

It was a very good story.

Any additional comments?

How do I tell you I have previously read the book?

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