Startling and totally satisfying

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

Hard to tell, really. The text and the narration and characterization are so seamlessly intertwined. They are all very satisfying.

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

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, because the action is impressive and the characters are so very interesting.

What does Ian Patrick bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

The accents are good and the voice has a richness and a non-American feel about it that is intriguing and refreshingly different.

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

No. I savored it in small bites and liked it that way.

Any additional comments?

I read/heard the third book in the series last year and promised myself to get the first. For various reasons I got delayed. I'm back on track and will aim to get the rest in the series.

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2 people found this helpful

Better than the book

If you could sum up Devil Dealing in three words, what would they be?

Exciting different thriller

Who was your favorite character and why?

The Tamil detective woman. What a gal!

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

Haven't heard him before. But he's got a great voice.

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

Yes. But it took a couple of sessions because of work.

Any additional comments?

Must get another one in this series.

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6 people found this helpful

Different and very exciting

What did you like most about Devil Dealing?

It was good to hear a book that wasn't either American or British in narration. I liked this very much. Really gripping and different.

What did you like best about this story?

Two totally believable central villains (and a supporting cast of equally convincing bad guys) and a team of real-life detectives. Action all the way, like any thriller starring Matt Damon or Liam Neeson or Bruce Willis or.... anyone you can imagine, really.

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

Nope. This is the first one. Liked it a helluva lot.

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

Very sad scene early on. Lots of laughs. Discussions about rugby, among the cops, is hilarious (and completely accurate regarding the scores from the 1995 rugby world cup).

Any additional comments?

Good fun and entertaining all the way.

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6 people found this helpful

Exciting cops and robbers thriller

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

About the same

What did you like best about this story?

There's a bunch of really intriguing characters, all totally believable, and the action is startlingly good. And the humour is pretty good too.

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

Jeremy Ryder is cool. But I also liked the devilish villain, too: Tabby someone.

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

The clash of good and (d)evil.

Any additional comments?

Nice and different. Verfy well put together.

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4 people found this helpful

Fast-paced crime novel set in Durban, South Africa.

What made the experience of listening to Devil Dealing the most enjoyable?

I really enjoyed listening to Ian Patrick narrating his crime novel Devil Dealing. I’m not an aficionado of the genre – although I have read one or two books by Deon Meyer – but I thought Patrick wrote and structured his novel extremely well. I felt I was in the presence of an author who knew the genre intimately, knew the world he was writing about – all the textures enhanced the verisimilitude – and knew his subject. The plotting was excellent, it was a great page-turner (virtual pages!) and had some pretty high-octane action sequences. Patrick’s writing is very visual and I could “see” the film or television series it could become.

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4 people found this helpful

Very different and well written crime thriller

I've recently become interested in crime in South Africa - ever since the Oscar Pistorius case - and this was a lovely into to the crime fiction genre there. Very good police procedural with lots of fascinating characters. A well plotted story and very exciting.

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1 person found this helpful

Even better the second time around

I listened to these stories the wrong way around. Its more than two years since I read one of them and now here I am only now talking about this audible version of what is actually the first in the series. I loved it. It starts with a bang and there's action all the way. Most of all, I love the characters. The Afrikaner detectives are too hilarious for words and the bad criminals are oh so bad. A real thrill and most enjoyable. The tragedy is that it is also accurate about crime and police work in South Africa: so brutal.

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Haunting and captivating

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

Yes, definitely. In fact I think I preferred the story even more on listening to it than when I read it.

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

There's an unbelievably shocking murder with a devilish weapon. And then there's a tough moment when someone else gets killed too. I won't give it away here.

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

Not a question at all - the wicked villain Tabethe

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

Not really. It's nice to hear in chapter-size chunks. Good to listen to in the car, too. And in the bath, at night. As long as the burglar bars are reliable.

Any additional comments?

I think the narrator could create more variety in the accents of the characters. I know its not a film or radio drama or stage drama, where one expects that, but perhaps just a little more?

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12 people found this helpful

Thoroughly enjoyable and informative

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

Very interesting analysis of crime in a country that I have visited and know well. Exciting action and believable characters.

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

Any fast-paced crime thriller that is rooted in believable action and plausible characters

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

Thabethe the villain

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

Crime in the real world

Any additional comments?

Listening to the audiobook made the language - especially the slang - clear and easy to understand.

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3 people found this helpful

Exciting thriller, different from the norm

I liked this very much. Different and quite exciting. The accents were well presented and the suspense was well portrayed. I thought the narrator rushed it a bit, in parts, but generally it was very well performed. The writing itself was wonderful and I loved the characters and their exploits.

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