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)

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

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

Eh

I wish I had more to say about Rogue Island, but I just found it unremarkable. I love a good mystery and one about a serial arsonist sounded like a lot of fun. But the plot lingers and there are really no serious twists. There are too many sections that don't advance the investigation and most of the book is spent looking at the main character's personal life. I just didn't care. When the whodunnit moment comes, it's underwhelming and dragged out. I found very little satisfaction in the end.

This is a series and there's already a second book. I didn't hate the first, but I won't be buying the second either.

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.

Likable, well-plotted page turner.

I think this is a first novel for this author, and I've never heard of the narrator, either. Both are to be commended for an entertaining, thoughtful and surprising book. I had heard about the corruption in Providence, Rhode Island, and of the conviction of ex-mayor Rudy Cianci. The book makes the non-fiction news into exciting fiction. The protagonist is a journalist who tries hard to solve a series of arson fires in a poor neighborhood, many of them killing residents of the houses that are burned. The author draws his characters well, and you are recruited into the search for the whos, whats and whys of the search for the bad guys. It comes as no surprise that the gangsters are involved, but this is in no way a letdown. The plot twists and turns, and never takes a cliched turn. The narrator has a great voice for the regular people of Providence, and he keeps you listening. The book sags a little in the middle, but not enough to make you lose interest. The romantic angle is well done, and again has a surprising twist at the end which you could not have seen coming, unless you happen to be Robert Crais or John Lescroarts. I am looking forward to the next book by Da Silva, and hoping that Jeff Woodman reads it. Well worth your time; very entertaining.

Engaging

The characters are engaging, the setting (Rhode Island) a bit unusual and therefore interesting, the dialogue intelligent & full of wit. I hope to hear more of this author's work.

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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Colorful characters

I am surprised at how much I enjoyed this book, since I am not a fan of corrupt "wise guy" stories. What makes this a delightful exception is the witty, intelligent writing and the spot on narration that brings the story and characters to life. I have not heard this narrator before, but he has the ability to create distinct voices that ring true for all of the characters, including the females - a feat rarely accomplished by male readers. My favorite is the bookie - he's a hoot. The humor infused into the story lightens the weight of the arsons burning down the neighborhood. All is wrapped up with a very satisfying ending, leaving me ready for more from this author and, hopefully, his star investigative reporter.

I liked this book!

Great story, great narration. The story captures the essence of big city New England. Jeff Woodman did a wonderful job in capturing the accent and attitude of a modern Yankee. It reminded me of my north east roots. The story kept me captive and I "swallowed it whole" in one 8 hour chunk. I will be looking for more from Bruce DeSilva!

Pretty darn good!

I liked this one out of the gate - a fast moving story with the kind of dialogue that I enjoy (kind of crude but not overly vulgar or gratuitous.) I'm usually not a fan of mysteries and I had no idea it was a mystery when I downloaded it - I have so many books on my wishlist and read through so many synopsis' before I choose one that sometimes I lose track of what I'm doing. When I figured out what it was, it already had it's hooks into me - and I was enjoying it enough to squash any inclination to toss it aside because of the genre. I'll add this one to my list of fortunate mistakes and give it a strong recommendation.