Watch Me Die

A Novel

By: Lee Goldberg

Narrated by: Luke Daniels

Length: 5 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

Harvey Mapes is a 26-year-old security guard who spends his nights in a guard shack outside a gated community in Southern California, reading detective novels, watching reruns, and waiting for his life to finally start…which happens when Cyril Parkus, one of the wealthy residents, asks Harvey to follow his beautiful wife. The lowly security guard jumps at the opportunity to fulfill his private eye fantasies and use everything he’s learned from Spenser, Magnum, and Mannix. But things don’t exactly go according to the books…or the reruns. As Harvey fumbles and stumbles through his first investigation, he discovers that the differences between fiction and reality can be deadly.

©2010 Lee Goldberg (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Lee Goldberg bravely marches into territory already staked out by some fierce competition - Donald Westlake, Lawrence Block, the early Harlan Coben - and comes out virtually unscathed." ( The Chicago Tribune)

Security Guard Fantasy

First the good news. It's a cheap book with a pretty good mystery. The rest of the story is that this really is a security guard fantasy, and poorly written at that. He has a friend with benefits who happens to be beautiful and loves sex as much as he does. He gets hired to follow a rich guy's beautiful wife. His friend falls in love with him now that he's an amateur P.I. , so he has ravenous sex throughout the book. He solves a very complicated and violent mystery. In the end, he learns becoming a real private detective is too hard so he quits. But he gets the girl!

My kind of humor, silly and unpredictable

What made the experience of listening to Watch Me Die the most enjoyable?

The main character is so human it's funny. You don't get James Bond here, but a likable almost looser who starts to better himself in very humorous situations.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The plot did keep me listening. I listened on a long drive to Colorado and enjoyed it the entire time.

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

No, but I will look for more of his books.

Any additional comments?

This book is funny, but crass. It has language and some images of bodily fluids and bedroom activity. Not for the kids, but funny for the adults.

A Lot Of Fun!

This was a relatively short but highly entertaining and lighthearted listen. Cleverly well written with lots of funny one liners practically nonstop. Lighthearted but not altogether shallow (which, I guess can be two different things, at least in this case) as there are actually more than just a few thoughtful insights sprinkled in along the way.

The main character is quite a like-able fellow and I found myself on his side and robustly rooting for him as he stumbles his way through this rigorous and fast paced caper. A number of reviews commented on the over-abundance of swearing in this story, but that didn’t really bother me as the swearing seemed to fit in with the overall tone of the story.

Great narrator!!

Quick and easy listen that's well written!

This is a quick and easy listen featuring a well written storyline that's cohesive. Really enjoyed this book!

weird that he couldn't pronounce Camarillo

Narrative was well read but every time he mispronounced Camarillo I cringed. It's pronounced, 'Cam-a-rio'.

Exciting and humorous

Your classic bumbling newbie detective tries to stay alive while solving a mystery. This was really good. I read the whole thing in one sitting. Could not put it down.

Fun Filled Suspence

I love Lee Goldberg's books. He has you guessing who is guilty and enjoy some humor while your on your way! Great narration by Luke Daniels also!

Damn, this was unexpected

The moment I realized our protagonists was a simple security guard I didn't want to continue. Boy am I glad a stuck around. I laughed out loud so many times and Harvey was just a great character who just grew on me faster than any other character before. Great book! Hope this is a start of a new series

Really good story!!!

First book I have read of Lee Goldberg’s but definitely will not be the last! I really liked the way he laid out the mystery and then how it was worked out!!! Liked the “detective” but took some time to get there, and liked his girlfriend Carole. Thought how he brought Little Billy, Arlo’s brother, into the conclusion was neat. Tidy ending but unexpected!! Narrator, Luke Daniels, was excellent.

Awesomely Good

What a fun story that was humorous and thrilling and just good story telling, all be it a little ridiculous at times.

oh and the narrator did a fantastic. His delivery of certain lines really had me sold on what he was selling and also had me laughing at all.the right placed.

enjoyable.

Would you listen to Watch Me Die again? Why?

no. its a one off story because I would remember what happened.

What about Luke Daniels’s performance did you like?

he brought Harvey mapes to life and the other characters in the book.

Any additional comments?

fast paced and gripping I liked this story of a bored security guard becoming a private eye with the help of detective reruns on t.v. and the many detective novels he was addicted to.

well written characters and plot. recommended if you want a change from crime series.