The Cleansing

DCI Tom Caton Manchester Murder Mysteries, Book 1

By: Bill Rogers

Narrated by: Michael Troughton

Length: 9 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's Summary

Introducing Detective Chief Inspector Tom Caton. Christmas approaches. A killer dressed as a clown haunts the streets of Manchester. For him the City’s miraculous regeneration had unacceptable consequences. This is the reckoning. DCI Tom Caton enlists the help of forensic profiler Kate Webb, placing her in mortal danger.

The trail leads from the site of the old mass cholera graves, through Moss Side, the Gay Village, the penthouse opulence of canalside apartment blocks, and the bustling Christmas Market, to the Victorian Gothic grandeur of the Town Hall.

Time is running out. For Tom, for Kate…and for the City.

©2009 Bill Rogers (P)2014 Bill Rogers

Gripped and transported...

Would you consider the audio edition of The Cleansing to be better than the print version?

I have not read the print version (yet). I was recommended this story by a friend, and glad I listened to the audio version, it was refreshing to have the characters brought to life so skilfully.

What did you like best about this story?

I was not familiar with Bill Rogers before The Cleansing, but love crime thrillers and glad to have taken up a friend's recommendation. His characters work for me, the story has teeth, his knowledge and heart shines through...and for someone who lived in Manchester for just under 10 years (and loved it), personally it was wonderful to be transported back to the places and areas I was familiar with.

What about Michael Troughton’s performance did you like?

Where to start? Everything. I'm very familiar with Michael Troughton's body of work, on screen as well as audio, and he has a wonderful way of bringing characters to life, as in this story. He not only doesn't disappoint, he surpasses. His own even inimitable dulcet tones, acting experience, as well as his unerring capacity of breathing genuine life into so many different characters, and producing this work, made this a wonderful powerhouse of narration as well as a rewarding listening experience.

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

Yes it was, but my lifestyle doesn't allow for that, so after an initial 3 hour sitting had to be done in sessions.

Any additional comments?

Overall, good story, strong narration, looking forward to the next in the series of Inspector Caton and trusty sidekick Holmes.(On a related side note, I feel one of the long reviews below overly harsh. As has been mentioned by another reviewer, audiobook narration can be very subjective, so what may work for one person may not be the cup of tea of another, which can be reviewed politely and objectively, as a constructive critique to help others...each to their own of course. I certainly enjoyed it.)

Gets thee in the end ,

A bit slow for the first few chapters but gripping from there after. Looking forward to book 2 in this new line of inspector gaton,

GOOD FIRST OF WHAT HOPEFULLY IS A SERIES

What made the experience of listening to The Cleansing the most enjoyable?

It was a pleasant change to read a male author who doesn't need to pepper his story with gratuitous foul language unlike several books I have read recently. Unfortunately, Audible do not seem willing or able to add a note in the write up of a book that it contains a lot of offensive language.

Any additional comments?

Will look out for Book 2.

The Cleansing

Overall story line good, well read but too many street references, unless you live in Manchester, they are meaningless and distracting.

Great!

Loved it. Story was compelling and couldn't wait to hear the end. Narrator was amazing. Love how he changed his voice for each character.

9 hours 15mins of my life I will never get back….

What disappointed you about The Cleansing?

EVERYTHING!

What could Bill Rogers have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Not written it in the first place.

What didn’t you like about Michael Troughton’s performance?

One of the worst narrations EVER!

You didn’t love this book--but did it have any redeeming qualities?

It has convinced me to buy audio books a little more carefully in future.

Any additional comments?

Dreadful narration, poor story, unrealistic characters, strong beginning, dull middle and rubbish ending…. I can’t believe I actually got through the whole thing without sticking knitting needles into my eyes. If it hadn’t been a special offer I would have asked for my money back…..

Can't listen. Errors in narration!

What disappointed you about The Cleansing?

The narration had errors- misread words . Never had this in an Audible book before. Constant use of " toxology" instead of " toxicology" ( I'm assuming the author did use the correct word? ) , also endomorphin ( what's that then - you mean endorphin), calomile tea instead of camomile and the final straw - a grand place described as like an Italian pizza rather than piazza- I'm sure I didn't mishear it.
There were others that didn't stick in the mind so much.
I assume there are always errors in a narration and they are edited ? Not sure why this wasn't.

What was most disappointing about Bill Rogers’s story?

Clunky. Good knowledge of Manchester but im not sure really if that mattered to the story ( maybe if I'd managed to get to the end?) Returned for refund at chapter 12 because of errors in narration that I just couldn't stand to be honest.

Would you be willing to try another one of Michael Troughton’s performances?

No..... Well maybe if he had some editing to cut out errors!

Dull but maybe because first in series

After the first few chapters this turned into 'lift music'. It was on in the background but I didn't really listen. Therefore, with the exception of a few details I learnt nothing of whodunnit or why and as it was so dull, I didn't really care enough to rewind and find out. (If indeed there was any real explanation which there may not have been).

I might try one more in case this was just establishing the characters for later books in the series, but I won't rush.

The narration was OK, very softly spoken and tended to lead me to think the lead character was a bit of a wet weekend.

Clunky dialogue

Really quite poor. The writing very clunky with unconvincing dialogue, police officers explaining basic procedure to each other and a senior detective who is not familiar with the use of the word ‘driver’ in the sense of ‘force’ or influence’. At one point an officer asks why operating theatres are so called, the response is like an extract from Wikipedia – no one speaks like that…

The main character is repeatedly described as being very PC, but still wonders why another officer chose to join the police when ‘she could have been a model’. Quite bizarre.

Unbelievable!

I do mean that the story and plot is not believable. We have a hard-boiled copper (must be to get to DCI) who talks to his staff like they are children, correcting their speech etc.

He really sounds naïve and talks like somebody who has just left a minor public school and been given an important job.

Manchester is in the north of England and it is still dark at 6:30am in November, but our hero SEES his DI in the car park then shouts to him about a parking space "before the jack-hammers start". a) Lighting must be good, b) Who wields jack-hammers at 6:30am?

Sorry but this story and the scenes in it are very poor and not thought through. I think that the writer is trying to do a Michael Connelly and keep us interested in the Cop's route through the City. This in not LA.

I can see why this book was offered in the sale.