The Return

A Novel

De: Michael Gruber

Narrado por: Jonathan Davis

Lauded as his number-one favorite book of the year, Stephen King advised President Obama, in the pages of Entertainment Weekly, to pick up Michael Gruber’s previous book, The Good Son. With an unforgettable hero, The Return is as exciting and provocative as Gruber’s best work.

The real Richard Marder would shock his acquaintances, if they ever met him. Even his wife, long dead, didn’t know the real man behind the calm, cultured mask he presents to the world. Only an old army buddy from Vietnam, Patrick Skelly, knows what Marder is capable of. Then, a shattering piece of news awakens Marder’s buried desire for vengeance. With nothing left to lose, he sets off to punish the people whose actions changed his life years earlier. Skelly shows up uninvited, and the two of them together raise the stakes far beyond anything Marder could have envisioned.

As Marder and Skelly head toward an apocalypse of their own making, Marder learns that good motives and a sense of justice can’t always protect the people a man loves. With a range of fearsomely real characters, from a brutally violent crime lord to a daringly courageous young woman, a roller coaster of twists and turns, and a shattering exploration of what constitutes morality in the face of evil, Michael Gruber has once more proven that he is “a gifted and natural storyteller” (Chicago Tribune), and shows why he has been called “the Stephen King of crime writing” (Denver Post).

©2013 Michael Gruber (P)2013 Blackstone Audio

Excellent Story

Excellent Story and Reading. Narration was very good, story line very plausible. Hope to read more from this author

not as good as Gruber's earlier books

I've liked the earlier books enough to listen to them again, all of them, but this one is just a little too far out. If he does another book, I'll try it, but I was disappointed in this one.

after a slow start, I was captured by this story

I almost didn't finish listening to the story because it started out a bit slowly, but I'm very glad that I did. the narration is great and the story really grabbed me after the first few chapters. I didn't want it to end, and I couldn't stop listening. a great find!

Immature

It was like adult fairytale. Read by an extremely talented narrator. The ending was weak and not satisfying in anyway. The story would have benefited by some serious editing, and at least six hours removed. 

Interesting story & great performance

This book was full of action, had a great pace, and the narration was spot on! I would definitely recommend it.

A great story

From start to finish, ‘The Return’ is an interesting and engaging story. The characters are dynamic and Skelly adds an air of mystery. While not a true thriller with tons of action, the story moved at a good clip and with so much going on it kept you guessing as to what would happen next keeping it suspenseful. The writing was great and really made you feel as part of the story, but could have been a little better with the addition of some more robust descriptions of the scenery to help the reader with some of the sights, smells and sounds of this not so sleepy Mexican town.

Mr Davis does a great job with the narration and really brings the story to life.

Disappointing

After reading The Book of Air and Shadows, this was a disappointment. Only my familiarity with Michoacan kept me going.

All Time Favorite

What did you love best about The Return?

The fully developed characters. You grow to love or hate every one of them. You know who they are, how they feel, what they want.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Skelly, because you're never really sure about him.

Which scene was your favorite?

It's impossible to choose. The whole book is captivating.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

The story of a Viet Nam veteran trying to honor his love for his wife by bringing justice and freedom to the country she loved so much.

Any additional comments?

I don't write many reviews, but I had to do it for this book. It starts out slow, getting you to know the people in the story so clearly that you have to know what happens to them, even though it might not turn out the way you hope. It's truly one of the best books I've listened to in a very long time.

Very Enjoyable!

Okay, suspend disbelief a little and prepare to enjoy! This fast moving story takes us to Mexico, has a big cast of characters and a lot of action. The narrator was terrific. I enjoyed it all and found myself looking for more by this author.

Marvelous story

I'm usually very picky about my fiction. Truth is, this is not great literature, the plot is far-fetched (but plausible), and the characters are a bit over the top. And yet . . . It sucked me in, made me believe, and drew me back to listen to it all the way through a second time, with undiminished pleasure.