A False Dawn

Wonderful first novel in the Sean O'Brien series

Two weeks ago I listened to A Murder of Crows, the 8th and most recent release in the Sean O'Brien series, and was so impressed that I purchased the earlier seven novels. A False Dawn is not as good as A Murder of Crows, but it is very close. O'Brien is an ex-cop in Miami who quits after his wife died. In this novel he discovers a dying woman and sets out to catch her killer only to find out the man who murdered her is a serial killer he tried to find when he was a cop. There is lots of action along with suspense and a couple of nice twists. 4.5 stars.

11 of 13 people found this review helpful

First in a series

Any additional comments?

A False Dawn is the first book in Tom Lowe's Sean O'Brien series.

O'Brien was a police detective in Detroit, but with the death of his wife, he follows through on a promise he made to her. Quit the force and build a new life. He plans to fix up a cabin on backwater stretch in Florida. And live peacefully. It's a good plan until he discovers a dying young woman who whispers to him just before she dies......Well, once a detective, always a detective. O'Brien immerses himself in the search for who the girl was - and who beat her to death.

Lowe has created a strong, likable character in O'Brien that the listener can root for. I do like that he wasn't always right and made mistakes. There's a wealth of supporting characters. I was intrigued by a mysterious man named Joe Billie who appeared in the first few chapters - and then disappeared until his cameo in the final wrap up. Dave and Nick at the marina were engaging characters. I did find the 'bad guys' a bit cliched. Max the dog was a great addition to the cast.

The plot is ambitious and far reaching and on the dark side. (Fair warning to gentle listeners - there are some graphic scenes and strong language.) I had to suspend disbelief that the FBI would let a retired detective take such a leading role.

The Florida setting was well described and painted vivid mental images.

Listening to an audio book is a different experience than reading the novel. We tend to hear every detail - details we may have glossed over with a printed copy. My peeve was O'Brien's similes - even in stressful situations he's got something to compare. By the end they were simply annoying.

A False Dawn is a good first book and I would listen to another. (There are now five books in the series)

The reader, Michael David Axtell, was quite good. He has a clear, resonant voice with a little gravelly undertone that matched the mental image I had created for the character. He interpreted the book well, matching his inflection to the scenes.

6 of 8 people found this review helpful

Great Series

I really liked this first book in the Sean O'Brien series, A False Dawn. So far I have listened to the first 3 books and have started on the 4th novel. I have found them to be very interesting mysteries. I have purchased all six novels in this series available to date and have always looked forward to hearing the next one. Sean O'Brien, the main character, is an ex-Miami homicide detective who retired early after his wife died and moved up to the Daytona Beach area. He has a river house inland from the beach but also has a boat that he lives on. He keeps running into murder cases that need to be solved which he can't help but getting totally involved in. You will meet all his colorful boat neighbors and his cute little hotdog mutt, Max. Mr. Lowe is a great writer and Mr. Axtell is a wonderful narrator. All in all I highly recommend this series.

5 of 7 people found this review helpful

Very good

The only thing I didn't like about this book was how weak the female police officer, Leslie was. She's a cop for christs sake not a florist.

4 of 6 people found this review helpful

A welcome surprise

I can't believe I've never heard of Tom Lowe before. This is my first listen to Lowe and I'm hooked! The main character, Sean O'Brien is a very likable protagonist. The supporting cast, including Max, a cute and lovable dachshund, well round the story. There is plenty of suspense as the mystery unfolds. I look forward to the next book in this series.

4 of 6 people found this review helpful

Easy listen

This was a good book kept you guessing what was going to happen. I liked the main character Sean O'nell. Had a bit of witty humor. Will listen to the next one in serious

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

Excellent storyteller!

The narrator is incredibly talented at bringing the individual characters to life! Suspenseful and exciting!

3 of 5 people found this review helpful

Good Start to Sean O'Brien Series

The first book in the Sean O’Brien series is a good one . . . not as good as the LAST one, which I inadvertently happened to listen to first . . . But having LOVED A Murder of Crows, I felt compelled to go back to where it all started. I am glad I did. Sean O’Brien just after leaving Miami PD, is attempting to figure out his life after the death of his wife, Sherri, and keep his promise to her to find another line of work, where he can leave the evil behind. His move to rural Florida to a small cabin near the river and buying and refurbishing an old boat, seem to be just the ticket . . . until he happens upon a woman, just raped and stabbed. Trying to save her life, holding her in his arms, she whispers some unknown phrase to him, and he promises to find who has done this to her. Hoping that she will survive, he shows up at the hospital to check on her, only to find her dead from her injuries. Still unidentified, she is buried in a pauper’s grave. O’Brien’s search for her killer takes him back four or five years to similar murders that were never solved when he was on the police force. His meeting with Joe Billie, the Seminole Indian who becomes his close friend later in the series, is a highlight in the story. Some of the language and telling of his encounters with the bad guys is a little over the top in this first book . . . so I’m glad I started with A Murder of Crows. I’m definitely sticking with the series. It’s a good one. I LOVE it when the good guys win, and whoopee!!! Yes, evil is defeated here!!!

Tom Lowe book

This was my first Tom Lowe book. I enjoyed this book an plan on reading more books written by Lowe. Thought the narration by Michael David Axtell was very good.

Pretty good book so far; mediocre narrator

I'm about 2/3 done with the book as I write this. I just came across the narrator—who is pretty good with accents, at least—not knowing the word "carotid," as in artery: he thinks it's pronounced "carteroid." That's on page 206 of 294 (ch. 57) in the Kindle version. Oh, and a couple of chapters earlier (ch. 54), I noticed his pronunciation of Highway A1A as if it was A-EYE-A. Turns out it's that way in the book, AIA rather than A1A, big mistake by the author; but any self-respecting narrator should KNOW what it is (the major state highway, runs right up the Atlantic coast) and should pronounce it right. Also, earlier there was a totally wrong (but similar) word to what should have been used, but I didn't check it out and now I forget. Could have been spelled right and the narrator blew it, or could have been a mistake by the author. ¶ Oh, well. I'm pretty much liking the story and will give the series at least one more chance before I think about giving up in disgust.