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The Firemaker
- The China Thrillers, Book 1
- Narrated by: Peter Forbes
- Series: The China Thrillers, Book 1
- Length: 13 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Mystery
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The Firemaker is the first in the acclaimed China series from Peter May, author of Runaway, Entry Island and the internationally best-selling Lewis Trilogy.
Critic reviews
"Peter May is an author I'd follow to the ends of the earth." (New York Times)
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What listeners say about The Firemaker
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Joanne
- 07-08-15
Fantastic Listen
A really enjoyable listen. You knew how the plot was going but there were still many many twists and turns within it that I didn't see coming. Fascinating incite to Chinese life also...Well worth a listen.
20 people found this helpful
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- G. Swift
- 15-09-20
The Chinese accent is borderline offensive
The male narrator, who sounds like he is British, maybe Scottish, actually has a very good voice for audiobooks. But for some bizarre reason he has been directed to do separate 'voices' for the protagonists, American and Chinese. The Chinese one is really distracting, to the point of being uncomfortable and offensive. Its sounds like Benny Hill, or Peter Sellers or Krusty Clown doing one of the old school 'Me so solly' sketches. In this day and age do we really need British narrators imitating a Chinese accent in such an old fashioned way. I was actually enjoying this book until the bad 'radio play' from the 1080s kicked in. Why can't narrators just narrate books, instead of being told to act them.
Really wish I could get a refund as the sample of the audio you listen to before buying doesn't contain the bad acting in a 'Chinese' accent.
4 people found this helpful
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- Kirsten Behrens
- 17-08-15
Great insight into the Chinese psyche and Beijing.
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Having lived in Beijing from end 1994 to 2009, I was impressed with Peter May's insight into the North Chinese psyche and Beijing. His description of the culture clash between American and Chinese culture, and the growing understanding, is done with great understanding and respect.
It was with great nostalgia I read the book, partly because the Beijing described had more og less disappeared before I left in 2009, and partly because of the many good years I spent in Beijing.
What did you like best about this story?
The insight into the motives behind the actions of the characters, both villains and heroes.
Have you listened to any of Peter Forbes’s other performances? How does this one compare?
As always an excellent performance, only marked down by a slight mispronunciation of the Chinese words, which isn't fair to mark him down by. :D
Any additional comments?
A great listen, especially if you miss Beijing as it used to be.
27 people found this helpful
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- T. Dickson
- 09-08-17
disappointing and obvious
What an anticlimax, having read and enjoyed the Shetland trilogy, expecting another gripping storyline, I was disappointed in this book. I gave a second thought and purchased the second in the China series. I will not buy another.
3 people found this helpful
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- aheathco
- 05-12-15
A clash of cultures
Would you listen to The Firemaker again? Why?
Yes I would listen again to The Fire Maker again to concentrate on the detailed descriptions of life in the new China. The interactions between a self-centered american pathologist and a newly promoted chines police detective open up to the reader the big gulf that still exists between an ancient culture and the brash modern US way of thinking
Any additional comments?
I'm looking forward to the next books in the series
7 people found this helpful
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- dj
- 07-08-15
fascinating and intriguing.
an exciting combination of crime detective novels and interesting informative, fascinating description of Chinese culture.
12 people found this helpful
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- Caroline A
- 30-09-17
It just didn't grab me
So sloooooow. I enjoy Peter May's work but the first in this series of books disappointed. Gave up half way through.
2 people found this helpful
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- alwayssmiling
- 16-01-17
interesting and easy listening
read very well again. it was interesting to gain an insight into China . I do like Peter May books. this was easy to get into and to listen to as usual but I felt the story was a little weak and unlikely. that said I will download the next one in the series.
9 people found this helpful
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- Tanya
- 23-12-16
More Mills and Boones than murder and mayhem
If this book wasn’t for you, who do you think might enjoy it more?
Anyone who likes romance and is not too bothered about the storyline
Has The Firemaker put you off other books in this genre?
No, because this book should not be in the. Crine/Thriller section
What didn’t you like about Peter Forbes’s performance?
He did a reasonable job with such poor material, I thought he sounded embarrassed to be reading it at times
You didn’t love this book--but did it have any redeeming qualities?
Yes, it ended and I have the ability to return it, which I will be doing
Any additional comments?
Potentially this had the making of a good story. The author wrote a romance story and chucked in a few dead bodies. The female lead, did women and in particular American women no favors at all, she was as thick as they come, no redeeming characters in the book.
10 people found this helpful
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- Miles
- 26-10-20
Could have been a good book
The love interest storyline quickly becomes cloying, and tedious. It overshadows what could have been an interesting thriller. Peter May is better than this.
1 person found this helpful
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- Jennet Paget
- 06-05-18
Sensational rubbish
The highly improbable behaviour of the female protagonist and the the gruesome descriptions of autopsies etc combine to outweigh the positives of this book. This is unfortunate as some of the other characters are very interesting as is the description of modern China with the many vestiges of its past well described. It is as though the author did not have enough confidence in his plot and ability to draw convincing characters and so added sensationalist elements to compensate. The narration was enjoyable with good differentiation of the people.