Stung

The Incredible Obsession of Brian Molony

By: Gary Stephen Ross

Narrated by: Stephen Barker Turner

Length: 6 hrs

Publisher's summary

He was one of the brightest stars at the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, a brilliant young banker on his way to the top. But Brian Molony had a secret obsession: he loved to gamble. The unsuspecting bank was soon fuelling that obsession, as Molony helped himself to hundreds of thousands, then millions, of dollars in fraudulent loans. Despite falling deeper and deeper in the hole, Molony convinced himself he could win it all back. Before long, the mild-mannered assistant manager had become one of the biggest high-rollers the casinos had ever seen and earned himself a place in the annals of criminal history.

©2002 by Gary Stephen Ross
(P)2002 Random House, Inc.

poor sound quality

I like the story. the voice was pretty good but the quality of the sound was not.

Fascinating

Just hard to believe how this guy stole millions of dollars from a bank with really, very little effort. It is an amazing study of gambling addiction, the behaviors, the feelings, and the results.
It is dated but I really enjoyed the book.
More relevant today since we are rapidly moving towards a casino on every corner of America.

Fascinating journey of a man's gambling obsession

If you could sum up Stung in three words, what would they be?

Magical thinking is devastating!

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes - Although I had seen the movie "Owning Mahowny"" a few times, and applaud the now-deceased Phillip Seymour Hoffman for his incredible performance,and the writers/director for capturing the essence of this incredible story -- the movie can not capture the depth of delusion Brian Molony experienced during his years of out of control crazed gambling and theft.

The writer (and narrator) takes the reader thru the mind of one who is quickly and quietly being driven to total madness via gambling. Simply listening to how one survives the mere stress of living with the lies, deception, and theft is suspenseful. How Brian Molony didn't suffer a heart attack or nervous break down is beyond me.

A phenomenal story about a very "unphenomenal" man who literally, broke the bank.

Any additional comments?

A great read/listen for any one interested in the gaming industry or those who choose to live there lives chasing the fortunes believed to be won at the gaming tables.

A fascinating story of compulsion

Having seen the movie I was excited to listen to the original story and wasn't disappointed. Much more detail and it was fascinating. Written to drive the point home of how extreme Brian was willing to get to fulfill his urge.

excellent film. book makes better.

I've seen owning Maloney few times and loved it. the book was great listen if you liked the movie. the narrator was excellent too.

Excellent audiobook and gripping narrative

This is one of my favorite audio books I've read so far. It's a true crime narrative, and as a story it is very fast-paced and engaging from the first page. It begins with Molony's first decision to begin taking money from his bank to cover gambling debts. From then on it's a continuously unspooling story, and we get to see glimpses of his home life, his work life, and even his childhood. Even though Molony's behavior is shockingly criminal, he remains sympathetic and almost relatable throughout the story; he seemed to genuinely believe that he is just one night of gambling away from winning it all,

The story also does a good job of weaving in casino gambling history, culture, and law when relevant, as well as police procedure and investigation. It's amazing how much the book covers in just 6 hours.

The narration was also excellent. The narrator has a very wry voice that fits well with the material, and he does a good job of assigning distinct voices to each character. (I thought the voices used for Mario Colizzi and Nick Beck were really good -- I've never heard of or seen these men before but I instantly got a mental image of what they might look like just from hearing the voices he used for them).

I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys true crime, gambling, casinos, addiction narratives, investigation narratives, or just a good story about a fall from grace and a redemption.

One of my favorite audiobooks

Maybe I shouldn't find so many comic moments in this story. This is partly due to the outstanding narrator - from the bookies to the sleazy casino executives, he does a great job. It's a shame he hasn't done any other books.

Then there is Brian the banker. Good job, nice girlfriend, good friends and family. This man, who well understands odds and percentages, remains convinced that he will hit the hot streak that will finally bail him out. His debts go from 5, to 6, to 7, and then approach 8 figures, as he takes out one fraudulent loan to cover another.

I do have an interest in gambling and gambling stories, but I think that anyone with an interest in human nature will enjoy this.

Phenomenal

Loved this book...engrossing and realistic.
I have read it already, but the narrator reading it brought a whole new perspective.