Knockout thriller

I read one book by this author more than two years ago and thought it was knockout good. Now I have listened to this one, which is the last one in the series. It's even better. Knockout, for sure. Exciting and with good accents.

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Brilliant climax

Would you listen to Death Dealing again? Why?

I'll definitely listen to this again. It really is captivating. It draws you in with a nice easy domestic family-life kind of drama and then Bam! it knocks you between the eyes. Sensational action and really intriguing characters.

Who was your favorite character and why?

A fantastic character called Sugar Bear. He's the best. Intelligent guy. Very intuitive, sharp, watches everyone closely, and keeps an eye on everything and everyone. He's the man, for sure.

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

No. Not yet. I look forward to listening to more by him. I have to say that his narration is very good, but the voice could have been adapted more for the women characters.

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

For sure, but it's not possible. There's a lot to do in life. So I heard this in about four or five chunks.

Any additional comments?

None, really. Very good. Highly recommended.

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11 people found this helpful

Very good accents and dialogue

As a mother-tongue speaker of many languages from this region, I was impressed with the accents and pronunciation - and the generally professional reading. I thought that the women's voices should have been played by a woman, but I suppose that's not the convention. The narrator if solid and reliable and one feels that he knows this ground. But most of all, the book itself is very good. What a shocking description of a murder and its aftermath. These are terrible criminals and thank goodness there are good police detectives around. The characters are most entertaining.

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1 person found this helpful

More than just a crime thriller

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

For sure. It tells you a lot about South Africa, where I was born and about which I follow the news every day.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Mavis the police constable. A bright intelligent vivacious character. The author needs to write her story further.

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

No. Never heard of him before. But I'll get more of his stuff now.

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

Yep. Topsy-turvy emotions and fun and thrills and the whole thing.

Any additional comments?

There's a great section where a poor cop gets teased about mans-plaining. Very funny.

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4 people found this helpful

So vivid, so true

This was very vivid and all so true, unfortunately. I constantly read about crime like this taking place in the country of my birth and this book tells it as it is. The voice is good, the atmosphere is well sustained, and the characters are well depicted. It is a very good book and a very good performance. I would love to hear a full-scale radio drama made out of this, but the single-voice narration here does a fine job of it.

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3 people found this helpful

Believable action and exciting

The accents are well created and the mood and atmosphere nicely built up. Diction is good, voice is intimate and mature, and the excitement of the plot is well portrayed. A solid exciting thriller reflecting the real world.

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4 people found this helpful

Thrilling and quite scary

Brilliant thriller. Very scary. I thought the prison scene at the beginning was amazing. From there it got even more thrilling. Lovely characters (well, not lovely but lovingly created even when they were evil) and well written. The last scene in the book is beautiful - ranging from thriller to gentle reflection. Perfect denouement. The narrator could have done more with the women.

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3 people found this helpful

What a nice surprise

Would you consider the audio edition of Death Dealing to be better than the print version?

Don't know. Haven't read it. Just listened to it.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Death Dealing?

The final chapter is breath-taking. It has incredible action but breathtakingly good moments of emotion, too.

Which character – as performed by Ian Patrick – was your favourite?

I liked Mavis, I have to say. But Ryder is as good as Jack Reacher, in my view. More interesting, in fact, because he has a personal life on display (instead of us just hearing about it), in his interactions with family and colleagues.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Man and dog against crime.

Any additional comments?

Makes me think of my own beautiful dog, who happens to be a border collie.

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12 people found this helpful

Best of the series

I loved this. Best of the four books, in my opinion. I heard it a long time ago and then recently re-listened. It had lots of action and tough combat and martial arts, like the other books in the series. But in this case it was not only even more powerful: it was also interspersed with some really tender moments. There is an underlay of affecting emotional content that makes this the best of the series, in my opinion. There is also a very satisfying winding up of the whole story about the bad guy Thabethe. I never found it necessary to have the whole plot read/listened to in sequence, by the way. Each of the stories is self-contained and I enjoyed them for what they were. I don't want to give anything away, but there is some satisfaction in now seeing the whole arc of the narrative. There is a kind of tableau at the very end of the final books that is quite affecting and very satisfying. Like putting a full-stop at the end of the whole quartet.

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3 people found this helpful

Heart-warmingly exciting thriller

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Most definitely. It is thrilling all the way with such lovely human (and canine) dimensions that kept me glued to the earphones.

What other book might you compare Death Dealing to, and why?

Anything from Stieg Larsson or Lee Child or James Patterson or... you name them... the top thriller writers. This is right up there with all of them.

Which character – as performed by Ian Patrick – was your favourite?

I like the hero Jeremy Ryder. Just like Jack Reacher. Is it coincidence that they have the same initials? Maybe. But then there's also John Rebus, I suppose. And Jack Ryan. And... ha! now I can think of quite a few JR's.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Canine Force in the fight against crime

Any additional comments?

I really liked the balance of human drama and crime-busting.

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14 people found this helpful