The Last Iota

A Novel

By: Robert Kroese

Narrated by: P. J. Ochlan

Length: 9 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

The year is 2039, and Los Angeles is poised between order and chaos. After the Collapse of 2028, a vast section of LA, now known as the Disincorporated Zone, was disowned by the civil authorities and became a de facto third world country within the borders of the city.

Navigating the boundaries between DZ and LA proper is a tricky task, and there's no one better suited than eccentric private investigator Erasmus Keane. So when movie mogul Selah Fiore decides she needs to get her hands on a rare coin lost somewhere in the city, she knows Keane is the man for the job.

But while the erratic Keane and his more sensible partner, Blake Fowler, struggle to unravel the mystery of the elusive coin, Blake's girlfriend, Gwen, goes missing, and Selah Fiore turns up murdered. Both of these crimes seem to be linked to the coin - and to an untraceable virtual currency called iotas, used by drug dealers and terrorist networks.

Framed for Selah's murder and desperate to find Gwen, Keane and Fowler must outwit DZ warlords, outmaneuver a reclusive billionaire, and stay a step ahead of the police while they gradually uncover the truth about iotas. Soon the clues begin to point to a conspiracy at the highest levels of government - and to a mysterious trickster who has orchestrated it all. As the DZ devolves into chaos and another Collapse seems to loom, Blake Fowler realizes that the brilliant Erasmus Keane may have finally met his match.

Set in the world of The Big Sheep, Robert Kroese delivers another dystopian adventure audiobook full of wit and intrigue.

©2017 Robert Kroese (P)2017 Macmillan Audio

Some bits difficult to follow in audio format

It’s a good story, and I enjoyed it. I preferred the narrator on the previous book, “The Big Sheep.”

Chapter 21 starts a series of plot lines that are driven by puns and anagrams, and they are basically impossible to follow with the spoken-word version. I actually bought the text version to figure out what was going on, so I paid for this book twice.

Not as good as the first book

Decent overall, but I really missed the previous narrator. His voice better matched the detective noir setting. The story is fine, but again I think the first book was more compelling.

Rounds out the setting of the book series

I have mixed feelings about book number two. The performance nagged me through the book. Usually the irritation of change of narrator in a book series fades when you get into the book. Not so much here. The narrator is actually ok, but some of the (main) voices seems to have some kind of audio filter that makes them electronic and somewhat nasal. Adding to this some of the narration had slight pauses giving the effect you often encounter in synthetic text to speech voices.
The story slowly builds up starting with a premise that is unclear and not that engaging but manages to turn this around with a clever plot and mystery that explains quite a few questions about the backstory of DZ and the characters that you didn't knew you had.

An excellent noir adventure!

The Last Iota is a worthy sequel to The Big Sheep. It's a rip-roaring noir adventure through the disturbingly possible labyrinth of near-future Los Angeles. Fowler and Keane remain intriguing characters and a compelling team to read. Also, it's great to actually have an author with a realistic grasp of economics.

The previous narrator was better

Changing the narration changed they character in a boring way. The new narrator is to dull.

Loved it!

I listened to this a couple of days after I had finished The Big Sheep. Other reviewers complained about the new narrator. I loved him. He did a great job. Yes, one name was changed. To be honest, I had thought at the time that the narrator of The Big Sheep had mispronounced it all along. So, for me, it was rather a relief.

This adventure also takes place in a post apocalyptic future in LA. This time, the currency that had taken the place of the US dollar is in danger. A lot of comparisons about the wobbly nature of putting value on a country's currency and the fact that ours is no longer based on gold, were made. I quite enjoyed it, but I have a feeling that it is more accessible if you are computer literate. If you don't live online, it might be a reach. There is humor, adventure, and a small bit of romance involved. Great story, I hope for more!

Pretty good

I liked this book but it was not nearly as good as The Big Sheep. The story and the characters were OK. I found the narration sounded the same most of the time which made it a bit confusing trying to follow since I didn't always know who was talking. Overall I would recommend it for "tech" fans but I prefer more story and less technology. just my opinion.

More money more problems

A really interesting with a lot of neat twists and mysteries. I preferred Fred Berman as a voice actor over this one, but he still did a good job.

Perfect story and follow-up

After reading Big Sheep got hooked and wanted a finisher. Rob made again a great work, the narration was incredible. Can't recommend this more. Read Big Sheep and then this, you won't be disappointed.

Different narrator, pronounces names differently

To me it seems like the worst insult when a new narrator steps up and can't be bothered to learn how the previous narrator in a series pronounced names.

The book itself may be fine, but certain names are said frequently and always mispronounced. I find this really jarring, and to boot the new narrator doesn't really have the voice to pull off a noir type novel.