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Thunderous!

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 11-10-20

From the thunder of guns to the howls of pain, the sea spray to the stormy sea and the intrigues of court to artistic leanings this book simply has it all with Stockwin's pen and Rodska's voice painting a vivid, almost cinematic story of Kydd's latest adventure. All the principle characters that we know and love get to have their moments in this book which is an absolute belter!

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7 people found this helpful

It could have been great . . .

Overall
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
3 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 09-09-20

Stella Oni promised us a lot in this book but only manages to deliver some of it. I did get a strong sense of the culture and places from the rundown London estates to the fascinating contradictions offered by a country like Nigeria. I never felt though that I was getting a particularly "gripping journey" and some of the writing seemed quite questionable. When near the start of the book a completely random old Chinese man steps up and for no apparent reason says something like 'Don't worry, you are feted to find her' then the only way to react is to roll your eyes.

On the bright side there is some excitement over the finish and a suitable gruesome plot at the heart of this. Weruche Opia gives an impressive performance with a particularly impressive array of character voices to throw into the mix. Some of her male voices were perhaps a bit on the dodgy side but it's a rare narrator indeed that can traverse both sexes with more aplomb than she does.

I think if Audible are going to keep bringing forth unknown authors like this they should perhaps help those authors more with improved editing before committing it to Audio. A little more investment in quality with some of the structure and writing elements might just have gone a long way here.

As it is, it really isn't that bad but there is bound to be disappointment when a title like this is release as 'Audible's Crime and Thriller Pick of the Month'. It's good that they often like to showcase debutant authors , I certainly applaud that because it must be very hard getting a start in such a crowded market place, but they should bill it for what it is when there are so many high quality new releases out there.

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7 people found this helpful

Much Ado About Quite a Lot!

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 27-08-20

This is one of the series that I really look forwards to! One where, in my view, the author should be chained to their word processors and never allowed out to see the light of day to make sure that the books come along faster! Harffy once again takes poor Beobrand and puts him through a mill and a half's worth of mayhem, intrigue betrayal and yes even some heartbreak. All in a day's work you might say for the mighty Lord of Uhbenford but our merciless author takes it to another level as Beobrand trails around lovelorn after an unattainable woman, is surrounded by enemies and would-be killers, trapped in a burning fortress tasked to defend the kingdom and in possibly the most powerful scenes in the book his much vaunted "word of iron" comes up against its most severe test yet. You really don't want to get on the wrong side of this Harffy dude if you are one of his characters that's for sure!

Overseeing the telling of this bloodthirsty tale it's once again Master Barnaby Edwards, he helps to bring the whole thing to life with another very convincing performance. Clean and articulate in the narrative and yet brutish and gruff when he has to be the mighty warriors that populate Beobrand's world, a great choice and long may he continue.

The short version of this review of course would be that if you have enjoyed the series up until now you're going to love this one too. It's one of the best of them. If you haven't travelled with Beobrand before then please do head over to Book 1, The Serpent Sword. In truth you could still enjoy this one as a stand alone I am sure but like most good series this one is worth going the extra mile and taking it as it was intended. It's a superb historical adventure!



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9 people found this helpful

Strap in and Hold on Tight!

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 25-08-20

This is a hell of a ride from James Brabazon. For someone who doesn't exist and who is supposed to hide in the shadows Max McLean is like a small fireworks display. The body count in this one alone would make a reasonable dent in our planet's over-population problems! From pretty early on it's obvious that this author isn't going for anything realistic but it is gritty and brutal and McLean is as ruthless and hard as they come.

It's almost non-stop action and Jason O'Mara does a really decent job of somehow keeping up with this breakneck story. With his mild Irish accents and some very good voices for other characters he is a really good fit to be reading this one.

The story careers around the world with death and mayhem seemingly around every corner as McLean manages to create chaos and no little destruction everywhere he goes.

I really did enjoy this one and it's fair to at least compare it to the likes of Lee Child. If you like non-stop action and frequent brutal violence this should suit very nicely as long as you aren't hoping for too high a dose of realism in the mix.

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7 people found this helpful

Split Personalities Will Lead to Split Opinions!

Overall
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
3 out of 5 stars
Story
2 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 07-08-20

Or am I just splitting hairs?

Firstly, I have to say I am normally a big fan of this author. I’d recommend his Nathan Cody series in a heartbeat, it’s a keenly written and very well rounded police procedural series and Cody himself has real depth. Here, Jackson has aimed at something rather different so don’t expect more of the same. Here, his main protagonist is Thomas Brogan, and right from the start it’s clear that we’re dealing with quite a sick mind harbouring not one but two personalities. In fairness to the story it’s fairly well on-trend trying to inject humour into this evil character. In some ways it reminded me of the kind of writing that Luke Smitherd has been producing, albeit in a very different genre.

And unfortunately that’s where it all goes wrong for me. The Cody books develop excellent levels of tension, excitement and yes, even dread. The ‘chatty’ attempts at humour between Brogan’s personalities just destroy any kind of atmosphere and, in fairness, it’s a tough thing to attempt, including whimsical humour in a book about a pretty twisted and deranged serial killer and gruesome detail. For me he doesn’t get the right mix and while Matt Addis is a good narrator his naturally bright tones only seemed to add to the incongruity.

I’m sure that this book will suit some, it’s an attempt at making a twisted killer human in some ways but if you’re hoping for a similar exciting and tense experience to the Cody books this isn’t it or at least it certainly doesn't aim for it from the same direction.

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20 people found this helpful

Nothing Soft About This One!

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 03-08-20

The Spider Shepherd thrillers are just simply one of those guilty pleasures. Well written, well structured and full of glorious action. This is slightly longer than your average thriller but it really doesn't feel like it, the plot ticks along at a cracking pace and incorporates Spider's home life along with his multiple identities as an undercover cop. It's a tale well spun and when it's delivered by Paul Thornley the while thing takes on a new dimension. He has a slightly halting style, leaving a slightly longer gap than normal between sentences which I think works very well. Maybe as I get older it's nice to be able to assimilate what's been said before plunging on to the next point! It's more than that though, he delivers the bluff side of Shepherd and the hard side of the action down to a T and yet has enough character voice variety and deftness of touch when it's required.

The story itself is just of the kind that you would expect from Shepherd and Leather. After an intriguing opening that has you asking just who is who more than once to the explosive ending that ties it all together nicely there is a lot of action, plenty of moral dilemmas for Spider to contend with (are the bad guys all really so bad?) and some touching parts of his personal life. Put together this audiobook is an excellent combination and although it clearly has aged a little it still feels fresh enough to carry today.

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6 people found this helpful

Cracking Chiller Thriller!

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 27-07-20

The Robert Hunter series has never been one for the faint of heart and this one is no exception. It's a riveting story with a seriously bad, bad guy at its heart. It's also bang up to date and a serious reminder of the downsides of some of today's modern technology. The killer that Hunter takes on is as twisted an evil as he's faced before and once an 'innocent' pickpocket steals his personal bag containing something most precious to him things are not set to end well. What follows contains plenty of action, intrigue and clever plotting that leads to a dramatic finale which is delivered in a forensic style which very much put me in mind of classic Jack Reacher.

The performance by Thomas Judd almost matches the story line but the audio did not seem quite as clean as normal. It's perfectly clear but during the pauses there are faint clicks and sounds, not something that bothered me personally but I can imagine might be slightly off-putting to some, check out the sample if such things tend to bother you. It wouldn't stop me recommending this.

If I have any quibbles on the plot it is probably the Detective Garcia character who I thought was weak being used mostly as someone for Hunter to explain things to, even when he does reach his own conclusion we are usually reminded that Hunter had got there before him . . . as if we didn't already know. Garcia needs to be pepped up with more of his own personality rather than just being a prop for Hunter.

That though is more a quibble than a complaint. 'Written in Blood' simply crackles with energy and tension and delivers a very satisfying finale.

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4 people found this helpful

A Feisty Second Book Promises Much More!

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 21-07-20

I do occasionally get irritated and just a little bit grumpy and cantankerous when the publisher's blurb promises a lot but the story within fails to deliver or doesn't really match up to what's promised. No need to worry about that here though because when Feist promises you 'devastating events' he genuinely means it. I'd hate to be a character in one of his books because if he decides that you need to go, even if you were a bit of a star in previous books, then you'd better duck because axes, arrows and flames are likely heading for your vital organs!

In fact this book lulls you into a false sense of security with a fairly steady and patient start and then just when you're nice and relaxed . . . WHAM! It's the reader that gets clobbered from behind and from then on it's high action and drama all the way. It's a typical Feist journey through a well built world with decent characters and of course with a quality narrator like David Thorpe at the helm it never hits a bum note.

I have this down as a series to look forwards to and I very much hope that Feist's publisher is on at him right now to keep beavering away at the rest of the Firemane Saga!

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5 people found this helpful

Grace Co-stars In Courtroom Drama!

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 12-07-20

This is another great addition to the Roy Grace series but it stands mostly on the story alone as a fascinating courtroom drama with the added twist of some very devious jury shenanigans! It starts demonstrating just what an excellent writer James is with tension and a very different kind of plot centred on the County Lines drug trade and some of the characters in it. The lives of those at the centre of the trade and an unsuspecting juror whose life is turned into a nightmare by the events that unfold actually dominate the book.

So here's the one warning that I would give fans of the series even though I think this is a top-notch book with Daniel Weyman's usual fine narration taking us through. This is a little different in that while there is still a fair amount of Grace and his back story with Bruno does inch along at James's usual slow and methodical pace he does take much more of a back seat to the key people in the crime story itself. Also, long-time fans will notice a much more sanitised Norman Potting and sadly Glen Branson is still mostly on the subs bench just coming off it occasionally as an impact sub.

So, a great story, I always like a good courtroom drama, well read and well worth making time for but it is worth noting Grace's slightly less active role and the differences in the character balance. Of course, don't worry, Cassian Pugh lives down to his normal standards, but can Grace stand up to him?

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17 people found this helpful

Tchaikovsky Does Pop!

Overall
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
3 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 28-06-20

I've been so engrossed in some of Tchaikovsky's books that after 'Children of Time' I said that 'Tchaikovsky is still writing symphonies", it really was that good with length, depth and lots of sumptuously clever sci-fi ideas. Well if that was his symphony 'Firewalkers' is his effort at a three-minute pop song! Catchy setup, interesting chorus but really not much more than a bit of pulp entertainment.

For me, though it's not just that this isn't one of Tchaikovsky's best works it really isn't great generally either and it felt like a setup that deserved far better than this rather staid sci-fi offering. Adjoa Andoh certainly puts a lot into her performance to help lift it. She has a great voice but unusually for me, if I have a criticism, it's that for some of the characters it was a little over the top so that more than once I wasn't convinced I had understood what one of the characters was actually saying.

So, in summary, it's by no means awful but you can safely pass over this B-side composition, it isn't going to make the Greatest Hits album.

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10 people found this helpful