A Song for the Dying

MacBride knocks it out of the park.

What did you like best about this story?

Hooked me from the first chapter and never let up. Amazingly, I almost read this in one sitting.

What about Ian Hanmore’s performance did you like?

Excellent reader, moves seamlessly through various dialogues, male/female voices without overacting. Wonderful with the author's sprinkling of dark humor.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Dunno, but I'd cast Sean Bean as our hero.

Any additional comments?

This author has almost ruined me for other mystery writers (with a few exceptions). MacBride never settles for stock characters,TV movie dialogue or tiresome plot conventions. On the contrary: his characters are eccentric, the dialogue gritty and true to each character and the plot twists each and every familiar mystery formula into a neat pretzel. Every time I thought I had something figured out, the plot took a turn that gave me whiplash. Ash is King of the Anti-Heroes, very damaged, full of dark impulses but still somehow moral, someone you like and root for. His continuing bond with the fragile, empathy-driven profiler Alice is unique in mystery novels. Again, MacBride's books are not for the squeamish, but so rich and well-written that they leave me wanting more.

11 of 11 people found this review helpful

MacBride at his brutal best.

Beautifully read, very clever. Read Birthdays for the Dead first. Not for the faint hearted. Ash Henderson is one of a kind

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

This almost didn't get 4 stars...

...because it would have been REALLY nice if the book summary had mentioned that this was actually part 2. Now am I supposed endure the torture I know Ash Henderson is going to go through in part 1, when I know how it will come out??? I've already bought it, and am contemplating returning it, but I admit, battered as I am by A Song For the Dying, I really like MacBride's writing.

Glutton for punishment that I am, I'll probably read it. But I'll have to take a break and listen to something easier to take for a book or two!

Ian Hanmore's accent may be hard for an American's ears to understand at first, but using headphones helped and now I'm used to it. He doesn't distinguish enough between characters, but overall his narration is a positive for the book.

So be warned. Read Birthday's for the Dead first.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Fast paced and thrilling

Where does A Song for the Dying rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

A terrific thriller, there was even humour hidden among the blood, gore and twisted minds. Far fetched, certainly and very gritty but highly entertaining and beautifully narrated by Ian Hanmore. I am really looking forward to the next book by Stuart MacBride, hoping to meet up with the same characters again.

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

I was engrossed in this book from the start although I found some of the characters very harsh and some of the scenes were brutal. I loved the problem solving skills used to untangle the crimes and the way the team each pitched their unique skills to arrive at the truth. The plot reminded me of Ian Rankin with the gloves off, clever, intuitive, gritty and at times funny.

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

I haven't heard Ian Hanmore before but love his Scottish accent and would like to hear more of him narrating .

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

At times the book made me laugh but the humour was secondary and almost covert.

Any additional comments?

I loved this book, it captured my imagination and managed to be both far fetched and totally believable at the same time. The considerable talents of the writer and the narrator
combined to make this a wonderful audio experience.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Wonderful!!

I'm thoroughly enjoying this series and can't seem to get enough.
This is one of the best series I've read.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Brilliant!

Would you consider the audio edition of A Song for the Dying to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the printed version. Why bother? The audio version is so great!!

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Song for the Dying?

So many memorable moments, it's hard to choose. Probably during the torture scene. Very gritty and difficult to read because it was so realistic.

Which character – as performed by Ian Hanmore – was your favorite?

I really liked Ash Henderson. A great cross between funny and gritty!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Absolutely. It is one of the best murder mystery thrillers that I've read.

Any additional comments?

Ian Hanmore did a fantastic job. He managed to pull off so many Scottish accents, both male and female. I really liked the understated narrative interspersed with the character voices. I'm a professional narrator myself, so I admire great work! :) I also liked the short sentence style used by Stuart MacBride. It made for easy listening in audible format. Well done on both the story and the narration. I would highly recommend this book!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Too Long by a Third

Superb author but this Not his best by far. Convoluted. Choose one of his other works. Any Logan McCrae novel.

Without redeeming value. Take a pass!

A Song for the Dying deserves a quick death. The author appears to have collected random plot twists, tragic moral conflicts and fundamentally flawed characters and thrown them against the wall to produce a narrative which disgusts rather the enthralls the reader. Yes, I guess this could reflect real life but to structure a book around a main character that acts against his own interests and his friends without plausible rationale strains credibility beyond the story value. Perhaps the most flagrant transgression is the sheer volume of repugnant outcomes from actions (or inactions) of the main character. They appear to have been inserted for sheer shock value. There is no redeeming value to this book. Take a pass!

0 of 1 people found this review helpful

Too much gore and violence

Would you try another book from Stuart MacBride and/or Ian Hanmore?

No, I got tired of the excessive gore, violence and constant conflict between everybody and gave up listening.

If you’ve listened to books by Stuart MacBride before, how does this one compare?

First and probably last

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

No, but though the reading was quite clear and easy to listen to.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Storyline line was interesting, created suspense could be followed but in the end I decided I didn't need to know the outcome.

0 of 1 people found this review helpful