Try an audiobook on us
Cambridge Blue
People who bought this also bought...
-
I Did It for Us
- By: Alison Bruce
- Narrated by: Mary Woodvine
- Length: 9 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 180
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 157
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 158
Emily's instincts tell her that best friend Joanne's new boyfriend is bad news. Emily fears for Joanne. Fears for Joanne's children. But Joanne won't listen because she's in love. So Emily watches and waits...and then she makes a choice. But Emily has a past, and secrets, too. And is she really as good a friend to Joanne as she claims?
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent thriller with a twist.
- By IanOrchard on 11-01-18
-
Gallows View
- The 1st DCI Banks Mystery
- By: Peter Robinson
- Narrated by: Simon Slater
- Length: 8 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 353
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 317
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 315
Gallows View is the first novel in Peter Robinson's best-selling Inspector Banks series. Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks has recently moved to the Yorkshire Dales from London to escape the stress of the metropolis. But he soon finds that life in the country is not quite as idyllic as he had imagined. A peeping Tom is frightening the women of Eastvale. Two glue-sniffing thugs are breaking into homes. An old woman may or may not have been murdered....
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Comfortable Start to a Popular Series
- By Simon on 29-06-18
-
Hero: A Simon Serrailler Short Story
- By: Susan Hill
- Narrated by: Steven Pacey
- Length: 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 127
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 117
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 116
When Simon Serrailler was a rookie constable with the Met, he did something reckless in the course of a night's work which caused a man's death. But his act was praised by his colleagues, and he was called a hero. Years later, now a detective chief superintendent who has been badly injured in the course of duty, he receives a medal for bravery at Buckingham Palace while recollecting that fateful night of his early career, when chance disguised itself as bravery.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Neat prequal
- By Vicuña on 09-08-16
-
Singing to the Dead
- Anderson and Costello, Book 2
- By: Caro Ramsay
- Narrated by: James MacPherson
- Length: 12 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 96
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 74
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 72
It's Christmas, and half the Partickhill police squad is down with flu. Not good timing, with a series of cyanide poisonings in the area, plus two small boys reported missing in the space of a few days. And then there's the monumental task of providing concert security for rock legend Rogan O'Neill.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Very enjoyable
- By mollyeyre on 06-12-10
-
Locked In
- Jessica Daniel, Book 1
- By: Kerry Wilkinson
- Narrated by: Becky Hindley
- Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 429
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 393
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 393
When a body is found in a locked house, Detective Sergeant Jessica Daniel is left to not only find the killer but discover how they got in and out. With little in the way of leads and a journalist who seems to know more about the case than she does, Jessica is already feeling the pressure - and that's before a second body shows up in identical circumstances to the first. How can a murderer get to victims in seemingly impossible situations and what, if anything, links the bodies?
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent book plenty to keep you enthralled
- By Bondchick on 29-05-15
-
The Killing
- By: David Hewson
- Narrated by: Christian Rodska
- Length: 25 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 822
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 549
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 550
Sarah Lund is looking forward to her last day as a detective with the Copenhagen Police department before moving to Sweden. But everything changes when nineteen-year-old student, Nanna Birk Larsen, is found raped and brutally murdered in the woods outside the city. Lund’s plans to relocate are put on hold as she leads the investigation, along with fellow detective Jan Meyer. While Nanna’s family struggles to cope with their loss, local politician Troels Hartmann is in the middle of an election campaign to become the new mayor of Copenhagen....
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
RIVETING TALE...
- By Christina on 05-07-12
-
I Did It for Us
- By: Alison Bruce
- Narrated by: Mary Woodvine
- Length: 9 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 180
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 157
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 158
Emily's instincts tell her that best friend Joanne's new boyfriend is bad news. Emily fears for Joanne. Fears for Joanne's children. But Joanne won't listen because she's in love. So Emily watches and waits...and then she makes a choice. But Emily has a past, and secrets, too. And is she really as good a friend to Joanne as she claims?
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent thriller with a twist.
- By IanOrchard on 11-01-18
-
Gallows View
- The 1st DCI Banks Mystery
- By: Peter Robinson
- Narrated by: Simon Slater
- Length: 8 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 353
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 317
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 315
Gallows View is the first novel in Peter Robinson's best-selling Inspector Banks series. Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks has recently moved to the Yorkshire Dales from London to escape the stress of the metropolis. But he soon finds that life in the country is not quite as idyllic as he had imagined. A peeping Tom is frightening the women of Eastvale. Two glue-sniffing thugs are breaking into homes. An old woman may or may not have been murdered....
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Comfortable Start to a Popular Series
- By Simon on 29-06-18
-
Hero: A Simon Serrailler Short Story
- By: Susan Hill
- Narrated by: Steven Pacey
- Length: 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 127
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 117
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 116
When Simon Serrailler was a rookie constable with the Met, he did something reckless in the course of a night's work which caused a man's death. But his act was praised by his colleagues, and he was called a hero. Years later, now a detective chief superintendent who has been badly injured in the course of duty, he receives a medal for bravery at Buckingham Palace while recollecting that fateful night of his early career, when chance disguised itself as bravery.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Neat prequal
- By Vicuña on 09-08-16
-
Singing to the Dead
- Anderson and Costello, Book 2
- By: Caro Ramsay
- Narrated by: James MacPherson
- Length: 12 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 96
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 74
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 72
It's Christmas, and half the Partickhill police squad is down with flu. Not good timing, with a series of cyanide poisonings in the area, plus two small boys reported missing in the space of a few days. And then there's the monumental task of providing concert security for rock legend Rogan O'Neill.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Very enjoyable
- By mollyeyre on 06-12-10
-
Locked In
- Jessica Daniel, Book 1
- By: Kerry Wilkinson
- Narrated by: Becky Hindley
- Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 429
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 393
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 393
When a body is found in a locked house, Detective Sergeant Jessica Daniel is left to not only find the killer but discover how they got in and out. With little in the way of leads and a journalist who seems to know more about the case than she does, Jessica is already feeling the pressure - and that's before a second body shows up in identical circumstances to the first. How can a murderer get to victims in seemingly impossible situations and what, if anything, links the bodies?
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent book plenty to keep you enthralled
- By Bondchick on 29-05-15
-
The Killing
- By: David Hewson
- Narrated by: Christian Rodska
- Length: 25 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 822
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 549
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 550
Sarah Lund is looking forward to her last day as a detective with the Copenhagen Police department before moving to Sweden. But everything changes when nineteen-year-old student, Nanna Birk Larsen, is found raped and brutally murdered in the woods outside the city. Lund’s plans to relocate are put on hold as she leads the investigation, along with fellow detective Jan Meyer. While Nanna’s family struggles to cope with their loss, local politician Troels Hartmann is in the middle of an election campaign to become the new mayor of Copenhagen....
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
RIVETING TALE...
- By Christina on 05-07-12
-
Only the Innocent
- By: Rachel Abbott
- Narrated by: Peter Wickham
- Length: 13 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,188
-
Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 1,080
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 1,079
When billionaire philanthropist Sir Hugo Fletcher is discovered murdered in his London home, tied naked to a bed, the scandal is only a shadow of the darkness lurking off-camera. Laura Fletcher returns from an Italian vacation to find her home under siege by paparazzi. Is she shocked? Yes. But is she distraught? Not exactly. Chief Inspector Tom Douglas reveals his suspicions that Hugo’s killer is female. The deeper Douglas digs, the more sordid details he uncovers.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Very poor narration
- By mrs c a dunne on 20-07-15
-
Strangeways to Oldham
- The Belchester Chronicles, Book 1
- By: Andrea Frazer
- Narrated by: Patricia Gallimore
- Length: 5 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 153
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 140
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 140
Lady Amanda Golightly of Belchester Towers is a person in complete contrast to the stereotypical image of her upper-class breeding. She is short, portly, and embarrassingly forthright. On a visit to a local nursing home, she unexpectedly discovers a long-lost friend, Hugo Cholmondley-Crichton-Crump - and stumbles upon a murder. The pair turn to sleuthing after Lady Amanda reports her appalling discovery to the local police inspector, who treats her as a silly old biddy with an overactive imagination.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Superb entertainment, a laugh a minute
- By Mrs W. on 25-02-17
-
I, Witness
- By: Niki Mackay
- Narrated by: Camilla Rockley, Karen Cass, Peter Noble, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 172
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 160
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 160
They say I'm a murderer. Six years ago, Kate Reynolds was found holding the body of her best friend, covered in blood, and clutching the knife that killed her. I plead guilty. Kate has been in prison ever since, but now her sentence is up. She is being released. But the truth is, I didn't do it. There's only one person who can help: Private Investigator Madison Attallee, the first officer on the scene all those years ago. But there's someone out there who doesn't want Kate digging up the past.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
I'm floored!
- By Jenna Jenks on 25-04-18
-
The Stone Circle
- The Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries, Book 11
- By: Elly Griffiths
- Narrated by: Jane McDowell
- Length: 10 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 157
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 145
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 145
DCI Nelson has been receiving threatening letters telling him to 'go to the stone circle and rescue the innocent who is buried there'. He is shaken, not only because children are very much on his mind, with Michelle's baby due to be born, but because although the letters are anonymous, they are somehow familiar. They read like the letters that first drew him into the case of The Crossing Places, and to Ruth. But the author of those letters is dead....
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Fantastic as usual
- By M BeeH on 12-02-19
-
Crime on the Fens
- DI Nikki Galena, Book 1
- By: Joy Ellis
- Narrated by: Henrietta Meire
- Length: 7 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 318
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 279
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 279
DI Nikki Galena: A police detective with nothing left to lose, she's seen a girl die in her arms, and her daughter will never leave the hospital again. She's gotten tough on the criminals she believes did this to her. Too tough. And now she's been given one final warning: make it work with her new sergeant, DS Joseph Easter, or she's out.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Good story lousy narration
- By Fiona on 29-07-18
-
The Wife's Secret: A Gripping Psychological Thriller with a Heart-Stopping Twist
- By: Kerry Wilkinson
- Narrated by: Alison Campbell, Alan Medcroft
- Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 80
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 74
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 74
Charley Willis was 13 years old when her parents were killed in their family home and she was found hiding in a cupboard upstairs. Fifteen years later, Charley is marrying Seth Chambers. It should be the happiest day of their lives, a chance for Charley to put her past behind her, but just hours after the ceremony, she is missing. No one saw her leave. No one knows where she is. One thing is for certain…Seth is about to discover he doesn’t really know the woman he just married. And his nightmare is only just beginning.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
really good enjoyed it gripping story
- By Michael Bath on 08-12-18
-
The Last Lie
- By: Alex Lake
- Narrated by: Laura Kirman
- Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 59
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 52
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 52
Everyone lies...but some lies are deadly. For Claire Daniels, life is good. She has everything she’s ever wanted - a career she loves, friends she can rely on and a husband who dotes on her. All she needs is to start a family of her own and things will be even better than good. They’ll be perfect.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Good listen
- By rebecca on 09-01-19
-
The Next Girl: Detective Gina Harte, Book 1
- By: Carla Kovach
- Narrated by: Tamsin Kennard
- Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 197
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 176
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 177
Deborah Jenkins pulls her coat around her as she sets out on her short walk home in the pouring rain. But she never makes it home that night. And she is never seen again.
Four years later, an abandoned baby girl is found wrapped in dirty rags on a doorstep. An anonymous phone call urges the police to run a DNA test on the baby. But nobody is prepared for the results. The newborn belongs to Deborah. She’s still alive.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Enjoyable story
- By Yvonne on 26-05-18
-
Her Last Secret
- A Gripping Psychological Thriller
- By: Barbara Copperthwaite
- Narrated by: Katie Villa
- Length: 10 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 240
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 212
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 214
The last thing to go through Dominique Thomas's head was the image of her teenage daughter's face and her heart lifted. Then the shot rang out. They were the perfect family. Successful businessman Ben Thomas and his wife Dominique live an enviable life, along with their beautiful children: teenager Ruby and quirky younger daughter Mouse. But on Christmas Day the police are called to their London home, only to discover a horrific scene: the entire family lying lifeless, victims of an unknown assailant.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Absolutely brilliant
- By Chrissie on 05-12-17
-
With Our Blessing
- An Inspector Tom Reynolds Mystery, Book 1
- By: Jo Spain
- Narrated by: Aoife McMahon
- Length: 12 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 221
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 208
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 206
It's 1975. A baby, minutes old, is forcibly taken from its devastated mother. In 2010, the body of an elderly woman is found in a Dublin public park in the depths of winter. Detective Inspector Tom Reynolds is working the case. He's convinced the murder is linked to historical events that took place in the notorious Magdalene Laundries. Reynolds and his team follow the trail to an isolated convent in the Irish countryside. But once inside, it becomes disturbingly clear that the killer is amongst them....
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Gripping
- By DartmoorDiva on 04-11-17
-
Kane and Abel
- The 30th Anniversary Edition
- By: Jeffrey Archer
- Narrated by: Jason Culp
- Length: 19 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 849
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 621
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 628
Kane & Abel for a new generation!!
They had only one thing in common - William Lowell Kane and Abel Rosnovski, one the son of a Boston millionaire, the other a penniless Polish immigrant. Two men born on the same day on opposite sides of the world, their paths were destined to cross in the ruthless struggle to build a fortune.
The marvellous story, spanning 60 years, of two powerful men linked by an all-consuming hatred, brought together by fate to save - and finally destroy - each other.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Superb listen
- By josephine on 05-06-13
-
The Crossing Places
- By: Elly Griffiths
- Narrated by: Jane McDowell
- Length: 8 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,401
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,251
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,246
When she's not digging up bones or other ancient objects, Ruth Galloway lectures at the University of North Norfolk. She lives happily alone in a remote place called Saltmarsh overlooking the North Sea and, for company; she has her cats Flint and Sparky, and Radio 4. When a child's bones are found in the marshes near an ancient site that Ruth worked on ten years earlier, Ruth is asked to date them.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Couldn't stop listening
- By Lotus on 17-02-14
Summary
DC Gary Goodhew is intelligent, intuitive, and the youngest detective at Cambridge's Parkside Station. He is the first on the scene when the body of a young woman is discovered on Midsummer Common and for the first time in his career is given the chance to work on a murder investigation.
Soon there is an identity for the victim: Lorna Spence. Richard Moran, her boyfriend and employer, has reported her missing and is distraught to discover that she has been killed. He claims she was loved by his staff and his sisters, reserved Alice and vulnerable Jackie. He says she had no enemies but it isn't long before Goodhew discovers plenty, including her high maintenance colleague Victoria and Goodhew's reckless former classmate Bryn. They both swear that they have nothing to do with Lorna's death but Goodhew knows someone is lying.
Then there is another brutal murder and Goodhew knows it is time to use his own initiative to flush out the killer, even though it means risking his job and discovering the truth about the one person he hopes will be innocent.
More from the same
Author
Narrator
What members say
Average customer ratings
Overall
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars51
-
4 Stars69
-
3 Stars30
-
2 Stars6
-
1 Stars8
Performance
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars47
-
4 Stars65
-
3 Stars25
-
2 Stars5
-
1 Stars6
Story
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars50
-
4 Stars55
-
3 Stars33
-
2 Stars5
-
1 Stars7
-
Overall1 out of 5 stars
-
Performance1 out of 5 stars
-
Story2 out of 5 stars
- Mrs.
- London, United Kingdom
- 30-11-13
Impossible narration
What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?
Better narration - all emphasis in this reading on wrong words - irritating and irrational.
Would you ever listen to anything by Alison Bruce again?
Not with this reader
How did the narrator detract from the book?
See above: ruined story with consistently incorrect emphasis thus breaking any flow in meaning
You didn’t love this book--but did it have any redeeming qualities?
not really - it was so hard to get past the distracting reading.
9 of 9 people found this review helpful
-
Overall2 out of 5 stars
-
Performance1 out of 5 stars
-
Story2 out of 5 stars
- Lynn
- Fordingbridge, United Kingdom
- 09-11-13
Disappointing story uninspiring narration
I tried to listen to this story several times but eventually gave up
The story didn't grip my attention and the narration was very flat the characters just didn't come to life
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- R. J. Gladden
- Liverpool, UK
- 19-02-14
Hard going to start with
I aborted my first attempt at listening to this book as I struggled to get a grip of the characters. However, a few months later, and because I was on holiday without wi-fi, I decided to try again. How glad I am that I persevered. In the end I just couldn't stop listening. My I-pod went everywhere and my husband got a little irate at trying to talk to me with my headphones in. I was kept guessing until the end and can't wait to start listening to Book 2.
I do agree however with a previous reviewer about the lack of characterisation of the narrator, particularly the women's voices. I do appreciate that it's always difficult for a man to speak a woman's voice and vice versa, but other narrator's manage it and I think that this was one of the reasons I had initial difficulty sticking to the story in the first instance.
This is a minor niggle however for a great story well written and generally well read.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
-
Overall2 out of 5 stars
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars
-
Story2 out of 5 stars
- Peter
- 02-12-13
Not up to morse standards
Has Cambridge Blue put you off other books in this genre?
I will not be getting any more by this author.
What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?
The performance was good.
What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?
I was disappointed in this book. The story didn't flow well. It is trying to be a Cambridge Morse but unfortunately is not up to the same standards.
I will not be getting any more in the series.
It was well read.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Donna L.
- 27-04-16
Something quirky and unexpected...
I bought this title in a rush and for 15 minutes regretted it. Then....
If not a wholly original premise the photos well constructed with few obvious plot holes. Importantly the focal character is interesting and well rounded and there were no glaring plot devices to (yes, some but doesn't there have to be) to lead him to the resolution.
Now, the narrator. Initially it felt like I was listening to a first year RADA project but I am glad I persevered. He has a young voice but managed to characterise competently and after a chapter or two he became irrelevant to the story. Sounds like faint praise but that should be the aim of all readers in my view.
I have romped on to#2 in the series!
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance2 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Carol
- Ashhurst, New Zealand
- 29-07-14
Holds your attention
Who might you have cast as narrator instead of Jonathan Broadbent?
Possibly Sean Barrett or Robert Glenister, although their voices might be too mature for the part of Gary Goodhew.
Any additional comments?
I enjoyed listening to this book but while the narrator is competent, he is not outstanding. His characterisation is virtually non-existent, and at times I had to go back, or think hard, to figure out who was speaking in a conversation. It made the story a little difficult to follow at times, and made the characters a little bland. Still a good listen though.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Patricia
- scunthorpe, United Kingdom
- 18-08-13
Good first attempt
I read this with the fact that this is the first in the series by Alison Bruce and may well be her first book in mind I think she keeps pasting in Cambridge into the scene and it is laboured and not relevant to the story line. Indeed Cambridge features less and less as the book progresses.
I think it is obvious that this is a book produced early in an authors career as she overworks similies and tells the reader rather than showing. Ms Bruce would do well to read - oops sorry - listen to Chris Brookmyres latest novel where he leaves huge chunks for the reader to infill rather than over-burdening them with huge amounts of detail.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance1 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- Miss
- Coleraine, United Kingdom
- 06-08-13
So so story, poor narration
Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
No. I found it very run of the mill & found it hard to empathise with any of the characters. The narrator used the same voice for each character, making it difficult to keep track of who was speaking. I gave up after the first half of the story, which I rarely do.
Would you be willing to try another one of Jonathan Broadbent’s performances?
No.
Could you see Cambridge Blue being made into a movie or a TV series? Who would the stars be?
No. Too run of the mill.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful
-
Overall2 out of 5 stars
-
Performance2 out of 5 stars
-
Story1 out of 5 stars
- Mrs
- Whitland, United Kingdom
- 11-08-13
Disappointing
Would you try another book written by Alison Bruce or narrated by Jonathan Broadbent?
I would not read another Alison Bruce book - I found her work far too wordy, the story lacked pace and there was little tension. Whilst appreciating this is fiction I found that it was far too beyond belief in the way the police were portrayed. Characters were too shallow. At times I felt I was in the middle of a piece of contrived 'easy summer reading'.
What will your next listen be?
Something grittier - maybe a David Hewson if I can find one I haven't heard - or try a different Scandinavian crime writer.
Would you be willing to try another one of Jonathan Broadbent’s performances?
Yes.
What character would you cut from Cambridge Blue?
Difficult to say - none was memorable enough or even induced enough of a dislike to get rid of anyone, all rather boring!
4 of 6 people found this review helpful
-
Overall1 out of 5 stars
-
Performance1 out of 5 stars
-
Story1 out of 5 stars
- Janrow
- 08-05-15
Not good
What disappointed you about Cambridge Blue?
The story teller was not great
I only got to chapter 4 i found it unexciting
Would you ever listen to anything by Alison Bruce again?
I may do
How could the performance have been better?
yes absolutely
2 of 3 people found this review helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Tracey
- 06-08-13
Tense British police procedural
Excellent police procedural set in Cambridge, UK featuring 25-year old DC Gary Goodhew, a new detective, who is viewed with mistrust and envy due to his quick rise to the DC role.
The book follows the stories of suspects, victims and police, showing the varying point of views (POVs) as we seek to unravel this complex mystery.
DC Gary Goodhew is a bit of a maverick at the station, following his own methodologies and uncanny hunches, much to the chagrin of his boss, DI Marks who is determined to make Goodhew a team player or let him go.
I loved the writing, especially how well all of the characters were fleshed out and the intricate relationships between the families and the co-workers.
Jonathan Broadbent did an excellent job with the narration, although his pacing can be a bit "off-putting" at first.
11 of 11 people found this review helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Kathi
- 25-03-13
Very good police procedural mystery
This is the first in what will become a series, featuring DC Gary Goodhew. In this book, we are introduced to the characters who will move through others, such as Marks--the boss who cannot understand Goodhew's unconventional way of moving through a case, and is almost ready to fire him before he realizes that he actually does have the talent to put clues together. Also, there is the unpleasant detective Kincaid, a colleague who is less than likable. There is Mel, another colleague who plays the saxophone, but Goodhew's favorite woman is: his grandmother, who is also his best support.
This book involves the need to sort out a mystery spanning some years, that leaves the reader considering various of the key people at different points, and comes to its climax with Goodhew acting according to what he thinks he has to do, even if it costs him his job. Almost too late, Marks realizes he has a talented officer, and supports him in solving the crimes.
Alison Bruce is an excellent writer. Not only does she offer a very intriguing mystery, but she has a gift for presenting the details of a situation providing the building tension that brings the reader directly into the moment and keeps the story from being simply a series of scenes offering clues. Also, she has the ability to let the story move back and forth in time, as it plays itself out. She develops this style in future books as well. Recommend!
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 21-07-13
Cannot give it 4, 3.5
I like the style, the writing is great, narration great, but...
A little too much gore in places where it is unnecessary? I'm not put off by violence to suggest evil, but it was strange how gore just popped up in the most unlikely places.
This is a real procedural type novel that feels a little like a first time outing. Good, maybe the next will be great?
5 of 6 people found this review helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- ACT1
- 06-11-13
My home town
I love reading books about my home town and Alison Bruce does a good job with Cambridge (to be listening to the book whilst, coincidentally, walking the same street was a tad surreal though!). I'm not sure that Goodhew's behaviour would get the same response in a real life police force but, hey it is fiction. I do have issues with the narrator though - he sounds young and Goodhewish to be sure but he mispronounces local names which really bugs me and I find myself wanting to yell at him when he does so - not a good look when you are walking in town! I will follow the series though, I enjoy the context.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
-
Overall2 out of 5 stars
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars
-
Story2 out of 5 stars
- Rollin
- 04-07-13
Much procedural detail but no narrative tension
What disappointed you about Cambridge Blue?
The long drawn out plot with many twists and turns but little resolution
What aspect of Jonathan Broadbent’s performance would you have changed?
He should work on his flow, making narration more natural.
You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?
The characters are interesting and mostly well portrayed.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful
-
Overall2 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story2 out of 5 stars
- Regina
- 09-11-13
Muddled and unpleasant
I realize I might be owning up to the decline of my gray matter when I say, I did not get this. Who's speaking? That's very hard to keep track of. The characters are extreme: the treacherous sister, the jealous brother, the victim with a big secret, the other victim who had a dog and managed to get away, although I gather she goes down later.
I managed to keep listening, backing up several times to replay chapters that lost me the first time, until the cop hero appeared. Is that early on? I'm hours into this story, and I'm lost. Is drooling next for me, or is this story a mess?
Maybe if I'm desperate to listen to something, anything, I'll come back to this, but I'm thinking of asking for a refund.
Also, this story is way, way unpleasant. Good writer, but nasty.
3 of 7 people found this review helpful