The Second Life of Nick Mason

De: Steve Hamilton

Narrado por: Ray Porter

From New York Times best-selling, two-time Edgar Award-winning author Steve Hamilton comes an unforgettable new hero - a man who will walk out of prison and into a harrowing double life that is anything but free.

Nick Mason has already spent five years inside a maximum security prison when an offer comes that will grant his release 20 years early. He accepts - but the deal comes with a terrible price.

Now, back on the streets, Nick Mason has a new house, a new car, money to burn, and a beautiful roommate. He's returned to society, but he's still a prisoner. Whenever his cell phone rings, day or night, Nick must answer it and follow whatever order he is given. It's the deal he made with Darius Cole, a criminal mastermind serving a double life term who runs an empire from his prison cell.

Forced to commit increasingly more dangerous crimes, hunted by the relentless detective who put him behind bars, and desperate to go straight and rebuild his life with his daughter and ex-wife, Nick will ultimately have to risk everything - his family, his sanity, and even his life - to finally break free.

©2016 Steve Hamilton (P)2016 Penguin Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

"What a fascinating, complex audiobook.... [Narrator Ray Porter's] portrayal of a criminal who is fiercely loyal to his friends and family is outstanding. He conveys the constant pressure and tension felt by Mason with his speech patterns and a tone of raw emotion always held in check." (AudioFile)

“[The Second Life of Nick Mason] is so good, it legitimately stands shoulder to padded paranoid shoulder with the classics of the crime noir genre.... There are so many terrific elements in this novel - Nick’s haunted character, a plot that never darts in the direction you expect it to, and a truly ingenious climax - that I could be here till Labor Day singing its praises.” (Maureen Corrigan, NPR Fresh Air)

“[A] heart-pounding thriller with cinematic appeal...Hamilton cleverly imbues the narrative with myriad of twists and turns, allowing the intricate plot to unfold with stunning and extraordinary skill and suspense. From the honor amongst thieves, to the honor amongst those sworn to protect us, to the loyalty among childhood friends and beloved family, multiple worlds collide as Hamilton catapults us into Nick Mason's complex psyche.” (Esquire.com)

Unsettling and a little unfulfilling

The story isn't really groundbreaking, but it's well told. It's hard to identify exactly what it was about the book that left me wanting more, especially without giving away too many details, but it feels somewhat linear. I would have liked a little better build up and a little more resolution. Still, it's better than a lot of stuff out there today.

Well written and a good performance, but ultimately not the experience I was hoping for.

Great book!

I’m not usually up for crime novels but this one’s pretty great.
RECOMMEND! Great characters and voice performance by Ray Porter.

Great summer reading...

Not your typical suspense plot line. Worth every minute. Great writing, still thinking about Nick Mason!

Second half is better...

I found the first half of this book to be slow and I could not identify with or care about the protagonist. Then, around the middle of the story, the characters got more real and the storyline more carefully crafted. If you like Chicago you will enjoy the locations for the action.

What a great book!

Don't miss this new novel by one of the best mystery writers in the business. Loved every second of it. And Ray Porter's narration is spot on. Just terrific all the way around.

Hard to Relate

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Partially. It started out well enough, but hard to embrace a protagonist who is a career criminal and brutal murderer. His only saving grace is his love for his daughter. Why would anyone like him? Plus, he goes from a non-violent criminal to a superb assasin,possessing knowledge of all guns and able to shoot like a sharp shooter--in a week. His background (high school drop-out) cannot explain his vocabulary, general knowledge, social skills or the attraction to him by the opposite sex. I like rational fiction, if not believable fiction.

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

The plot is a new twist on an old tale. Least interesting are the stereotypes (cops, all people who live in certain neighborhoods of Chicago or suburbs, etc).

Which scene was your favorite?

Meeting his little girl.

Did The Second Life of Nick Mason inspire you to do anything?

No.

Some potential but Meh

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Nick Mason seemed too shock about what he would be asked to do. For a criminal who knows the streets and has been in prison for 5 years, I just couldn't buy in to his not understanding why he was being freed from prison 20 years earlier.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

This story would have been great if there was more character development and character payoff. For example, I think there should have been a point in this book (seems like we're being set up for a series) in which Nick accepts his fate and resolves to be the best at what he does as he strives to get out of this arrangement.

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

Ray Porter performed well as an entertaining reader.

Do you think The Second Life of Nick Mason needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

By the end of this book, I wasn't much interested in Nick Mason. Seemed to brood and whine too much.

Any additional comments?

I don't feel like the book was a waste of time. It's an okay book for a long drive. The author tried too hard to protect this character, and that is unfortunate. I mean, if someone is telling you to be his samurai, he's not just talking about a code of closely-followed rules. Nick, with his background, should have known what was going to be expected of him. But he was in shock and rebellious. Came off as a whiner.

Meh.

Not bad

Started out great, gets a little sideways. Ray Porter is one of the best, this is one of his early works, he makes every book he reads

Porter is a masterful reader. Story falls off

Story starts out strong and ends somewhat lame. Had a chance to really dive into life in Chicago but took the easy rout instead and delivered a run of the mill story.

Good Read.

What made the experience of listening to The Second Life of Nick Mason the most enjoyable?

I really enjoyed the pace of the book, and it din't skip around as much as the Lock Artist which was nice.

What other book might you compare The Second Life of Nick Mason to and why?

The Second Life of Nick Mason reminds me of The Lock Artist another Steve Hamilton book.

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed listening to this book, but the use of the F word was a little overused. But overall was a good book to listen to.