Thin Air

By: Robert B. Parker

Narrated by: David Dukes

Length: 6 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's Summary

When the bride of a Boston police detective vanishes, he hires Spenser to find her. His path leads from a New England college campus to glamorous L.A. sports clubs. When the trail turns to a world of prostitution, drug abuse, and self-destruction, Spenser must enter ghetto tenements to continue his search. Ultimately, Spenser must hire a Chicago hitman to help him free the girl from a sociopathic ex lover. Working through gang leaders and corrupt cops, Spenser learns about humanity and justice as he strives to achieve his goal.

©1996 Robert B. Parker (P)2009 Phoenix

Good Book Ruined By an Awful Narrator

I read this book about twenty years ago and found it well written and quite entertaining. I thought I had listened to this book before; I thought that the reader had been Joe Mantegna. I'm not sure if I was mistaken about listening to this one previously, or if there has been more than one production. I'm damn sure if I did listen to this one previously I wouldn't have purchased it. The narrator is awful for the voice of Spenser and much worse for everyone else; avoid this one like a social disease.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Good story, voice is very different

Would you consider the audio edition of Thin Air to be better than the print version?

I have really enjoyed Michael Pritchard's reading - I think he captured the dry wit of Robert B. Parker's writing. This reading makes Spencer sound more like Philip Marlow and I was not comfortable with the change. The witty remarks did not come across as well.

What did you like best about this story?

The story.

Did David Dukes do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

Yes, but Spencer is not Philip Marlow. The reader lost the dry humor of many of Spencer's lines.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

The narrator need me to dial it back a little.

Like all Spenser novels, the story is great. Robert B Parker does such a great job of pulling you into Spenser’s world. But David Dukes seems to be trying too hard to be dramatic. His emphasis on the first syllable of almost every word sounds like Rod Serling doing a car commercial and many of his character voicing sound cartoonish.

great stuff

very good not long enough. First we have heard by David dukes. Different voice makes it not the same,,,,,,,,