Great Book - Leaves You Wanting More

Excellent listen. Great story with twists that are slightly gruesome but in a way you want to keep reading to find out what happens. Only complaint is there is some fluff dialogue in the chapters. As I listen to the books in order I am enjoying the growth and emergence of main character, Roy Grace. You find yourself feeling empathetic and connecting with the character. Makes you want to read the next one.

David Thorpe was outstanding with the delivery of the story

7 people found this helpful

Enjoyable but questionable policing techniques

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, populated with vile villains, winsome detectives, and innocent by-standers with interesting backstories. The narration was excellent. I withhold the final star because the police procedure seems to be somewhat unrealistic in several instances, including overlooking clear connection between events, failure to utilize armed response officers, and a senior police officer's distraction by clothes shopping amidst a major, horrific murder investigation. The protagonist's consultations with clairvoyants is also off-putting. I have a hard time believing that such an officer could attain the rank of detective superintendent.

4 people found this helpful

just ok

Since this is a long standing popular series, I wanted to start as close to the beginning. That means 2006, which in this book seems like a different era of writing in some of the tone. I'm no snowflake and am usually not bothered by outdated characters, but...

The author doesn't seem to really like the women he writes. All the female characters are either objects to be oggled, foolish stereotypes, or both.

I do like the main cop and am curious about his story line, and may read spoilers to catch up on his background, but after 6 or 7 chapters I just couldn't take one more reference to how hot or fat a woman is.
Meh...

3 people found this helpful

Hooray for Peter James

This is the first unabridged audiobook I've listened to by James and I really enjoyed it. I'm an American and it was odd as I waited with baited breath for Grace to take out the bad guys with his firearm, but was instead dodging bullets himself! English police do not carry firearms! It's weird to me and strangely thrilling. How do they do it!!??

The book is very well written and researched. James has done his homework. The narrator was not the best, but did a fair job. A little more intonation and character separation would have helped.

The excerpt at the end, where James is being interviewed is fabulous and only adds to the series as a whole. I would definitely recommend this book and have already purchased the next in the series.

2 people found this helpful

Very good

Oh, I liked this!

I read the first book in this series as a paperback so this was my first shot at Roy Grace as an audiobook. It was great!

As with the first book, there was so much suspense in this book to keep me listening. On the other hand, there was too much repetitive description taken word-for-word from Book 1. That was annoying and kept this from being a 5 star review.

I liked the ending of this better as well. Good old-fashioned police work.

The interview with the author was an added bonus at the end even though I thought there was more of the book left to go.

1 person found this helpful

Series is Reminiscent of a Soap Opera

Peter James is not my cup of tea. The series is to heavy on the personal lives of the characters. I find Roy Grace's obsession with his missing wife, who is mentioned throughout the entire series, just too much. When I was a teenagers my mom watched Days of Our Life's and I could go a year without seeing an episode and yet still somehow know the current storyline. This series is the same. I have read 4 books, randomly sampled throughout the series, and the Roy's missing wife is in all of them.. taking up chapters in the book... after one or two it just gets boring!

Often the dialogue is weak and just doesn't ring true. James has a bad habit of unnecessary repeating the same phrases in his books. In this book 'oh my darling' phrase must be repeated 100 times by the husband they are helping. If the whole series was boiled down and you might have a decent modern detective series and each book would be about half the original length. I just can't appreciate James work. David Thorpe is a good narrator but he didn't have much to work. The quality of the recording is good.

3 people found this helpful

My Retro Read!

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

Absolutely recommend this to everyone. I somehow missed this book in the series, and have just finished reading it after the latest book. I wasn't sure how that would work out, but I really enjoyed it, even though I know what happens to many of the characters later.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I really enjoyed David Thorpe's interpretation of Norman Potting. He nailed the character and the accent.

Which scene was your favorite?

No scene was a particular favourite. I just got drawn into the entire book.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Just the terror of the entire situation. An innocent act of putting a CD in a computer to see what it was drew the character into a world of terror.

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed David Thorpe's narration. He did a brilliant job, and I would love to hear him narrate some of the upcoming books!

1 person found this helpful

too much vulgarity

had to return. probably an interesting mystery but I couldn't take the constant F bombs. I purchased because I like this narrator but I wasn't familiar with the author.... lesson learned.

2 people found this helpful

Good

yet a bit too gruesome to my liking. The narrator is phenomenal.I could listen to him reading the phone book

My new favorite series

I’m an old retired cop. I love British police procedurals. My ONLY ‘beef’ thus far is the New Orleans accent of one of the criminals in this book: offensively not even close to ANY US Southern accent I’ve ever heard. I am aware and agree with complaints about American actors/ celebrities adopting/ attempting regional British accents but this character is so reprehensible that this pitiful attempt is upsetting.