Seven O'Clock Man

By: Justin DiPego

Narrated by: Daniel Martinez

Length: 5 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's Summary

Something is preying on the denizens of Skid Row, but when the victims are from the lost side of town, only one of the lost can stop the Seven O’Clock Man. Valentine might look like any homeless person holding any cardboard sign, but he knows the string of murders on LA's Skid Row aren't random and aren't business as usual for the strung out, the addicted, the unbalanced, and the destitute living on the streets. And it’s not just any killer hunting in the flophouses, shooting galleries and shantytowns. The Seven O’Clock Man is a legend, preying on the homeless since the first hobos hit the rails in the aftermath of the Civil War. 

Solve the mystery of who is the Seven O’Clock Man. How can one strung-out junkie stop him?

©2018 Justin DiPego (P)2021 Justin DiPego

Great book

I really enjoyed this book as it held my attention the whole time. I was so surprised by the ending and I wanted more! I want to know what happens to the characters on skid row. Are any of there lives changed. Definitely worth reading and the narration was amazing!

Gritty Mystery on the Streets of LA

The Seven O'Clock Man, written by Justin DiPego, is a raw, gritty, hard-boiled mystery set on LA's streets. A killer known only as the Seven O'Clock Man is beating to death the homeless living on Skid Row.

The Seven O'Clock Man, the bogeyman of the homeless. A figure invented to explain the occasional murders that nobody outside of the tramps themselves really cared about... but now suddenly real as the mysterious murderer violently kills without repercussion.

DiPego paints a vivid picture of life on the streets, in all its grim, horrible glory. The format of the story is interesting. It's recounted to us through one of the side-characters, the "Mayor" of a patch of Skid Row. The style I can only really describe as both genuine but also irritating.

The style is an old-timey tramp, making sure to speak extra eloquently to sound smarter, like a talking thesaurus. Pick a verb, any verb you like. It's likely been used as a dialogue tag as if the author is allergic to the word "said".

The narration itself by Daniel Martinez is smooth, and his characterisations on point, but the incessant need for "said" alternatives becomes annoying. It's the old show-vs-tell debate, where a lot of this novel was told to us, rather than showing it. A couple of the dialogue tags I jotted down are:

... he calculated.
... he incidentally alibied.
... I said didactically.

All that aside, the story itself is engaging. It's filled with plenty to keep you guessing, red herrings to throw you off, and paced well to keep it all moving towards an ending I did not see coming in the slightest.

If you can look past the verb tsunami, you'll find the gritty streets of LA make for a solid murder mystery.

I was given this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. I have not let this gift affect nor influence my opinions of this audiobook and have left an honest review.

Intirguing, engaging and more!

The Seven O’Clock man is a legend, perhaps an urban myth but regardless, he is killing the folks who have only the clothes on their backs and are the ones no one wants. To stop the killings one of them must take action now before more die.

I really enjoyed this story. I was kept guessing the entire time. The story comes from a first-person perspective where the protagonist is searching skid row for a legendary murderer. There are many twists and turns to keep your attention. The character and plot development are strong. The dialog keeps the flow of the story moving. In addition, the author, Justin DiPego gives his listeners a satisfying ending.

The voice actor, Daniel Martinez, did a great job and provided a unique voice to each character. His reading kept me just as engaged as the story. This is my first-time hearing Daniel Martinez and I look forward to hearing more of his work.

There were no issues with the production or quality of this audiobook, it was clear and crisp.

Disclaimer: This Audiobook was provided free of charge by the author, narrator, and/or publisher in exchange for a non-bias, honest review.

Take a walk on the mean streets

Seven O Clock Man is a gritty, noir-type thriller that leaves you guessing. Full of accurate details that anyone growing up in LA will recognize, the author takes us on a first person tour through LA's Skid Row in search of a mythical (?) murderer who preys on the vulnerable. Actor Daniel Martinez gives voice to the story in a way that lends authenticity. I found that his speech pattern was occasionally difficult to understand, but otherwise it was a great performance of a solidly fun ride through the eyes of those we often pass without seeing.

Strong plot, characters and action

Great, tight novel of murder among the Los Angeles homeless. Strong characters, plot and action. Narrated from an interesting point of view with a very satisfying ending. “I was given this review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."
Great Voice actor.

Incredible Twist!

The narration of this book was awesome! The story had twists that left you on the edge of your seat, and you just couldn’t stop listening. Well done!!

I could not stop listening!

Look forward to more by this narrator! And more by this author!
Wonderful story. Did not see it coming.