The Basement

By: Stephen Leather

Narrated by: Luke Daniels

Length: 4 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's Summary

New York City. With a population of almost 19 million people, it’s easy to remain anonymous - even if you’re a serial killer, torturing and murdering beautiful young women. The killer has another victim right now, locked in a basement somewhere in the city. For NYPD detectives Turner and Marcinko, it’s their job to sift through those 19 million and narrow their list to the one before it’s too late. And they’re sure they have the right man in their sights.

Fusing alternating viewpoints with devastating precision, Leather’s top-notch thriller dives deep into the mind of a demented killer as tension mounts immeasurably. Turner and Marcinko’s prime suspect is screenwriter wannabe Marvin Waller. He is becoming increasingly frustrated by his lack of success and the cops think he might be channeling his anger into murder, yet he doesn’t seem to be at all concerned that they are hot on his trail. As Turner and Marcinko close in on Waller they have to wonder: is he the killer? And if he isn’t - who is? Only time will tell - and time is one thing they do not have.

An unrelenting vice-grip of suspense and fear, The Basement is the ultimate shocker with a shattering climax that will leave you battered, bruised, and broken.

©2011 Stephen Leather (P)2011 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Slightly disturbing, yet weirdly captivating

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

He brings the story to life and makes it more real and disturbing, yet captivating too. Still, I'm glad it wasn't longer.

Any additional comments?

I knew fairly fast I was being tricked, but never saw this end coming.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Did Not See That Coming!

What an ending... Narrated well and - Did not see that coming at all!

The best thing I can say. .........

I struggled hard to get thru this book, it was almost a waste of time.

This is only my opinion.

it was a story within a story within a story. you never knew where you were since no chapters were mentioned. It ran together with hardly a break to direct you into each story. It seemed that the writer wanted to keep you confused between the screenplay writer and his numerous stories,, as he told you about the each screenplay he was writing and the main sorry about what was happening in the basement.

The final hour or so was the best part of the book.

The narrator was ok, not the best I've heard but certainly not the worse.

"page turner'

Would you listen to The Basement again? Why?

No, because once the murdered is revealed I think it would not be as riveting.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

It's not easy to guess what was coming

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

yes

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

yes

Any additional comments?

I wish the author had more 'stand alone' stories like this book. There are too many 'series' books.

Pretty Good

Nice quick good story. The ending was a pretty good surprise. I really like this narrator.

A Bit Saucy, but Very Tastefully Done

I only 'discovered' Stephen Leather early last year. But I made haste to read all of his novels since.

This is a standalone mystery/thriller. It's very hard to give a synopsis without being tempted to give huge chunks of the plot away! Suffice to say, the main character (a struggling screen writer), is everything you want in a villain - obnoxious, smart mouthed, devious, psycho... You itch to slap him and you pray that they'll be able to find a way to get him.

The outline of the novel is thus: women are being abducted in New York City, but their bodies are never found. We get to experience an abduction which in some scenes are quite sexually explicit, but not gratuitously so.

Stephen Leather has an easy storytelling style and Luke Daniels narrates in just the way you'd imagine it was written. The jumps from scene to scene, which occasionally happen mid sentence, are delivered beautifully. The exuberence in the delivery when the protagonist is talking about an idea for a screen play, is so well played against the somber tones of the captivity of the latest victim...

I hope I've teased your imagination. If you're already a Stephen Leather fan (who isn't?) then you won't need any persuading. If you're not - then come join the club!

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Compelling and scary!

A disturbing story told from two perspectives. One from the point of view of the main protagonist Marvin Waller, the other from the serial killer, which is graphic and chilling. Even though it's a dark story the great opening line pulled me in. It's fast moving, suspenseful and seems to be going in the expected direction until the huge and totally unexpected twist at the end which, for me, would have benefitted from a little more development or explanation to round out the 'why' factor.
An expertly delivered narration by Luke Daniels.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Predictable, easy to work out the murderer, have it when the author tries to be clever and does it badly

Really not a good book, very easy to work out. Listened to the end and hoped I was wrong but I was disappointed.

rubbish

so boring
give up by chapter 4,couldn't grasp the story at all.kept thinking it would improve bet it got worse

Terrible!

Would you try another book written by Stephen Leather or narrated by Luke Daniels?

I'm a massive Stephen Leather fan, but this was pure S##T. It's like a Woody Allen script, a pompous prat walking about talking to himself.

Would you ever listen to anything by Stephen Leather again?

Yes, the narrator No.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Loves the sound of his own voice.The main one, I'm not sure of his name, he just annoyed me.

What character would you cut from The Basement?

Luke Daniels