The Preacher: Aces and Eights

The Preacher Thriller Series, Book 2

By: Ted Thackrey Jr.

Narrated by: Shawn Compton

Length: 11 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

If you love Jack Reacher...it's time you met The Preacher, the one-eyed ex-priest and Vietnam vet turned professional gambler who wanders the country seeking redemption.

The Preacher is playing the highest stakes poker game ever dealt. His opponents are mobsters, arms dealers, and terrorists. The jackpot is an atomic bomb. And if he loses, the entire city of Las Vegas will be dealt the Dead Man’s Hand. It's non-stop action and suspense featuring the most original hero in crime fiction.

The nuclear noir sequel to the sensational novel, The Preacher, a finalist for the Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America.

©2017 Ted Thackrey, Jr. (P)2017 Brash Books LLC

Good!

Fast-paced, interesting, and exciting! I really enjoyed this thriller! Perfect narration!

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. The fact that I was gifted this book had no influence over my opinion of it.

I love these books and this character!

I listened to the first book in this series and was excited to have a chance to listen to this one. The Preacher is such a great character and so fascinating to listen to. His intelligence keeps me glued to the book because I absolutely love the way he reads everyone. I could only hope to someday have the patience he has learned to achieve. Shawn Compton performs perfectly. I could not imagine anyone else narrating these books. Book 2 was far more complex than the first one, but that didn't take anything away from it because I love twists, turns and mystery. You have to pay attention while reading or listening to this one. Trying to figure out the characters and listening to the thoughts of The Preacher as he was doing the same makes for a really good listen. I thoroughly enjoyed this well written book! I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

Our favorite one-eyed poker playing vet is back.

The Preacher is back. And in Aces & Eights the stakes truly get raised! (sorry couldn't resist) Bad pun aside, I'm being quite serious. Murder, mayhem, and even an atom bomb. As always, I'm going to avoid spoilers, but I will say the story is quite complex, so you'll definitely need to pay attention. While I enjoyed the book quite a bit, I must admit I enjoyed the first Preacher book more. Mr.Thackrey gets a bit wordy at times and there are a few chapters that feel more like info dumps than anything, which just seem to slow down the flow of the story. That being said, I'm still looking forward to the Preacher's next adventure.

As with the previous Preacher novel, Shawn Compton is back and he once again does a great job bringing the story and characters to life.

I received a copy of this audio title for free in exchange for an unbiased review.

Can't get enough of this character!

After listening and enjoying the first book in this series, I couldn't wait to get my ears around book two. It did not disappoint.

The poker playing preacher is still wearing black and taking names, this time in Las Vegas. There are no shortage of bad guys doing bad things and pinpointing who did what was multi-layered, multi-faceted, and multi-genius.

The narrator was excellent. Preacher is a bit of an unflappable character and Compton portrays him to the hilt!

This book had a satisfactory ending, with most loose ties put in their proper places. There was one dangling loose tie though, and I can't wait to see how it unravels in book three.

Great Series, Entry and Author

The Preacher, a former Episcopal priest and soldier and now a poker player continues his adventures. In this stellar second installment he is pulled into investigating what happened when a private poker game he is in is attacked. When the victim is holding the “dead man’s hand in playing cards (the Aces and Eights in the title) and those same pasteboards appear at other crime scenes, The Preacher is pulled into action.
Frankly, the story and plot are enough, but I so love the author’s writing. Hearing it read by the capable narrator makes me wish that both this book was longer as well as the only three volume series.
One could pick up this second entry, not having read the first and be in sync with the story, however the first book is worth the read as well.

Gripping story...

Would you listen to The Preacher: Aces and Eights again? Why?

I definitely would. The story is intelligent and action packed.

Which character – as performed by Shawn Compton – was your favorite?

The Preacher . Shawn Compton does a great job with him and all the other characters. I can see the them clearly in my mind.

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

This book is a little king to do that with but , if I had whole day I probably would do it.

Any additional comments?

This is the second book in a series. I haven’t listened to the first one and that’s not a problem. This stands alone. Definitely will go back and listen to the first

Preacher is a compelling character

Where does The Preacher: Aces and Eights rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

"The Preacher: Aces and Eights" ranks fairly high in me in the mystery and thriller category.

What other book might you compare The Preacher: Aces and Eights to and why?

The Wild West feel of the story, set in Los Vegas, reminds me of the Longmire series.

Have you listened to any of Shawn Compton’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is the first time I listened to this narrator.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This is the first book I've listened to in the Preacher series. I found his backstory compelling - Viet Nam veteran, a professional gambler who uses his winnings to keep a small town afloat. He has martial arts knowledge and is a trained fighter, but also understands the psychology of his opponents.

I appreciate the historical details the author includes. The information adds depth to the story without sounding like a university lecture.

Any additional comments?

I received this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

So Good!

I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

As with the first book in this series, this type of story line is nothing new, but damn does this author and narrator know how to do it. It was so entertaining. I can't wait to see what Preacher does next!

Loved it! !

I have to be honest. This book was hard for me to put down. I read the first half right before bed (big mistake!) And the second half tonight, again right before bed. Ted Thackrey knows how to tell a story that keeps you visualizing just what is happening. By the end, my heart was pounding,..
If you enjoy a quick heart jolting thriller, Aces and Eights is the book for you
"I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review." 

Good story but...

After listening to this audiobook I had a really hard time rating it and giving some feedback. This is partially due to the fact that I loved the premise and the overall story. On the other hand, in between most chapter there is a "Sermon" chapter which is very brief, however is just a little bit too long that my interest was lost and took away from the tone and excitement of the story. Once a regular chapter finished I could not wait to hear what happened next but had to suffer through a minute or 2 of something else until getting back into the thick of things. Personally, I just found these distracting and would have loved to just stay engaged in the story. The allure of Vegas and tons of suspense and even interesting characters really had me excited about this book. The story was full of action and there is so much mystery around our main character that it kept me reading. I did not read the first book in this series but was not at a disadvantage. The performance was really well done and it also kept me listening. The different voices used for each character were really well done and his tone throughout those tense scenes was just right. This book was really good, except for those "Sermon" chapter that broke up the book. Is it a deal breaker, no probably not for most but it would have been so much better had it just went from chapter to chapter. **I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review via Audiobook Boom, this in no way affected my opinion of this work**