• Killing Pretty

  • A Sandman Slim Novel
  • By: Richard Kadrey
  • Narrated by: MacLeod Andrews
  • Length: 9 hrs and 47 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (1,828 ratings)

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Killing Pretty  By  cover art

Killing Pretty

By: Richard Kadrey
Narrated by: MacLeod Andrews
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Publisher's summary

Sandman Slim investigates Death's death in this hip, propulsive urban fantasy through a phantasmagoric LA rife with murder, mayhem, and magic.

James Stark has met his share of demons and angels, on Earth and beyond. Now he's come face to face with the one entity few care to meet: Death.

Someone has tried to kill Death - ripping the heart right out of him - or rather the body he's inhabiting. Death needs Sandman Slim's help: He believes anyone who can beat Lucifer and the old gods at their own game is the only one who can solve his murder.

Stark follows a sordid trail deep into LA's subterranean world, from vampire-infested nightclubs to talent agencies specializing in mad ghosts, from Weimar Republic mystical societies to sleazy supernatural underground fight and sex clubs. Along the way he meets a mysterious girl - distinguished by a pair of graveyard eyes - as badass as Slim: She happens to be the only person who ever outwitted Death. But escaping her demise has had dire consequences for the rest of the world... and a few others.

For years Slim has been fighting cosmic forces bent on destroying heaven, hell, and Earth. This time the battle is right here on the gritty streets of the City of Angels, where a very clever, very ballsy killer lies in wait.

©2015 Richard Kadrey (P)2015 HarperCollins Publishers

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What listeners say about Killing Pretty

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Mr Kadrey has penned another winner!

Richard Kadrey and MacLeod Andrews are a perfect match. There is NO better narrator for Stark's adventures.
The latest Sandman Slim novel is everything I'd hoped it would be, and I'm a Stark groupie from way back. The only complaint I have about this series is that the books aren't 500 pages longer!
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

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8 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Too Short - I need MORE!!!

I want Richard Kadrey to do one of those really big novels like Diana Gabaldon does... hours and hours and hours worth. I LOVE these Sandman Slim/Starkbooks and - hey, Mr. Kadrey? You need to write faster please. I am ready for the next one. Have to say this one is not as funny as the first ones, as some of those lines were stop you in your tracks but the story is good and solid and MacLeod Andrews is such a great narrator. I have bought books I'd never have found because he narrated them. Another great addition to the series.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

hurried and thin

this does not feel like a finished work. feel like an abridged version. unsatisfying.... kill city and devil said bang felt like multiple books in one but this felt like a conglomeration of partially finished short stories and hints at bigger ideas left unfinished. Maybe it's just a bridge novel setting up plot devices and characters for something bigger...

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Another winner for Sandman Slim

Well, Stark has Death in his closet without a heart. In order for people to start dying again, Death needs to find his heart and go back to work. Thus, a new job for Stark and his band of misfit crime solvers. The story and the characters are as colorful as the previous in the series, with the voice of MacLeod Andrews bringing them all to life. Great series, that hasn't gone stale.

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    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

hard to believe this is the same guy

I love the Sandman Slim series. This book almost derailed it. About 85% is just Stark getting yelled at and disrespected by every female character in his life. It recovers a bit at the end, but not enough for me to say it saved face. I had a very hard time finishing this one.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Stark following the rules.

Having Candy and Julia always busting his nuts was annoying. I actually was hoping he would break up with Candy. Aghhh

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

A lot of man bashing going on here

I don't know what changed between this and the previous title, but all of the women in our heroes life spent the entire novel berating, and bossing him around. Stark is a complete badass and he gets reduced to yes mams' and sorry baby's. It was very distracting from the main storyline. I mean DEATH !!! It could have been a great story. Instead I actually stopped listening twice. But had nothing else to listen too so I trudged thru it. I may not listen to the next one.

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

Macleod Andrew = 💖💖💖💖💖

What does MacLeod Andrews bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Mr. Andrews brings excitement, passion, fun, everything! He brings everything to this story that makes the characters and the world around them real!

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

From Julie, Bridgette, Candy, Casabien, to Alegra I was about ready to toss my iPad every time they went against Stark. Stark has gone out of his way including almost giving his life for those characters and they have never ever shown any type of loyalty to him unless he can do something for them!

But what makes it worse in this story is they all seem to team up together to try and change him, to force him into being something he's not. And the sad thing about it is, if he did change to what they wanted the world would have come to an end. But because it didn't, he's still looked down on by them.

He asks Alegra to help him with one thing in this entire story and her answer is NO. Didn't matter how dire, how important, and how much he needed her help. Her first reaction to him is NO. Who cares if he protected her in a previous stories from a psycho stalker, oh and saved her life!

Candy, I'm so sick of her! She has this hard on for Julie that pissed me off! Everything out of her mouth is jugmental and down right rude to Stark! She's always so desperate to call Julie, to tell Julie everything. What pissed me off the most about her was Stark found a way to save her life from a previous story but she has no loyalty to him at all. Her loyalty is with Julie. Then she has the audacity to yell at Stark about 'missing being with women'. Seriously! This man would give his life for you, and whatever she asks for he goes out of his way to give to her but she throws, ' missing a female body and touch' in his face! I'm completely done with this character! If not for her taking Julie's side and going against Stark when he needs her, then about her being a selfish whinny little B towards him.

Julie is pretty much the stupid government, crazy angel wrapped in a human body. She uses him the exact same way they did and tosses him away like they did once he saved the world, again!!!

Bridgette is meaningless to me!

Casabien is just another annoyance considered a friend to Stark but really is there to whine and complain about everything.

Honestly, unless the author decides to write Carlos and Vdoc into the story more (they are the only 2 characters who do not try and change him, and who has his back as loyal friends should) the author seriously needs to add a character who is down to be Starks sidekick and who is nothing but loyal to Stark!

It's bad enough Stark has to fight for his life against strangers but to have to do it with those who say their friends but their actions prove other wise distracts so much from a great story. In the first book Stark was betrayed by friend, even Alice in a way. And there has not been one character created in Stark's life who I'd considered a true friend.

Any additional comments?

Let's face it, the action is phenomenal, the mystery of who is trying to take over for Death is intriguing, and the new characters in this story opens the door to more exciting adventures to come Stark's way. I love this series and I'm crazy for Stark! I just hope a character is created who doesn't just say he's Stark's friend but prove it in every action taken! I hate that he has no one that is loyal to him and just to him.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Love me some sandman slim

This was like a super bonus book; I thought the series ended with the last one! I enjoyed the new story line and all the regular cast of characters. Keep them coming!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Ohh Red Herring.... Such A Necessary Evil...

What made the experience of listening to Killing Pretty the most enjoyable?

The Dialogue and MacLeod Andrews as always awesome performance.

Have you listened to any of MacLeod Andrews’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

MacLeod Andrews is one of the few narrators I know by name. He always gives a award worthy performance and this time is no different.

He has preformed all of the previous Sandman Slim Novals and as always he makes the book feel so much more alive.

Any additional comments?

First I want to say thank you Mr. Kadrey, you could have ended a series with the previous book but you choose to continue an awesome series.

This book is while REALLY awesome has it's weak points. First this is the first book after the Angra Om Ya arc. and there are times when it shows. The lack of some bigger picture is a little surreal having spent the previous six book with greater threat looming over head.

HOWEVER this is a GREAT jumping on point for new readers while returning readers will still enjoy awesome dialogue.

I still love this series and I look foreword to next installment

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