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  • The Ghosts of Altona

  • By: Craig Russell
  • Narrated by: Peter Noble
  • Length: 12 hrs and 32 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (91 ratings)
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The Ghosts of Altona cover art

The Ghosts of Altona

By: Craig Russell
Narrated by: Peter Noble
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Summary

Jan Fabel is a haunted man. Head of the Polizei Hamburg's Murder Commission, Fabel has dealt with the dead for nearly two decades, but when a routine enquiry becomes a life-threatening - and life-changing - experience, he finds himself on much closer terms with death than ever before. 

Two years later Fabel's first case at the Murder Commission comes back to haunt him: Monika Krone's body is found at last, 15 years after she went missing. Monika - ethereally beautiful, intelligent, cruel - was the centre of a group of students obsessed with the gothic.

Fabel reopens the case. What happened that night when Monika left a party and disappeared into thin air? When men involved with Monika start turning up dead, Fabel realizes he is looking for a killer with both a hunger for revenge and a taste for the gothic.

What he doesn't know is that someone has been aiding and grooming a deranged escapee as his own personal tool for revenge. A truly gothic monster to be let loose on the world.

©2015 Craig Russell (P)2015 WF Howes

Critic reviews

"Russell scores highly with his atmospheric portrayal of Hamburg and its dark river Elbe, as well as with the intelligence of his plots." ( The Times)
"Craig Russell is a great writer." (Peter James)

What listeners say about The Ghosts of Altona

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

excellent

Another good listen. shame the series has ended really. twists and turns ss usual .

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Loved it including the new narrator

Hi i know Craig Russell has been busy with the Tv adaptations but it has seemed a long time since a Jan Fable or Lennox Novel. It was great to be immersed with Jan and his collegues again. Good story and strikes me as a way of giving Jan a bigger stage in Germany.

I love Sean Barrats narration of the previous novels. In fact i love all of Seans narrations and will often buy an audio book for my fix of Sean. However the flip side of this is i am very aware its Sean and can sometimes here the echos of previous past performances esp Wallander. I think Peter Noble did a great job transporting me to Jan Fable in Hamburg. Well done i think your just right. Your not Sean Barrett which is whats needed now.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

So average its disappointing

Any additional comments?

The story is terrific but the pace and the narration completely ruin it. Everyone sounds like they are in a church, soft, quiet and the women, why do all the women sound so sympathetic? or ridiculously slutty. I kept having to go back and rel-isten as I found my mind wandering and couldn't concentrate on the plot. Peter Noble is a good narrator but not suited for this type of book. Why does Audio continue to change narrators? Why try and fix something which was never broken in the first place?

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Good story pitiful performance

A very good story as one has come to expect from Craig Russell. The whole was spoilt by the most pitiful performance. There were occasions when I wondered if the narrator had dozed off. Perhaps because he became bored with his own narration, I certainly was. Fortunately, my wife had purchased the book and I was able to abandon the audio book and complete the book by old fashioned reading. After Sean Barrett, who's performance in all Russell's previous books has been outstanding and has greatly added to the pleasure of listening to them, why one wonders, did he use Peter Nobel.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great Narration.

I enjoyed listening to the novel very much and how Peter Noble brought each character to life.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Not one his next

The narrator got a fair amount of abuse from listeners, which I cannot understand at all. Of course, one becomes used to a particular voice for certain authors but Peter Noble was very good I felt.

I have to say that the story was a little predictable and somewhat disappointing.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Why are there not more German detectives?

Craig's Fabel is a great character and the german setting more than makes up for the hint of smugness in the character. The villains are vile and the plot is thick. Dive in and enjoy.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Very Good

When I purchased this book I assumed the narrator was Sean Barrett, and was disappointed when it started. However, Peter Noble narrated extremely well. Having listened to the entire series, and therefore being familiar with Sean Barrett's interpretation of the characters, it did take time to 'settle in' to a different narrator. Overall I still really enjoyed the story, the characters, and the narration. Highly recommend.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Superb.

The Fabel series has been a delight to discover, and this one is no exception.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

What happened to the end ???

What made the experience of listening to The Ghosts of Altona the most enjoyable?

Some themes based on historic fact of 1932 Altona, an excellent addition to the Jan Fabel series of Hamburg deceive novels.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Ghosts of Altona?

1932 Altona Bloody Sunday

What about Peter Noble’s performance did you like?

No a lot, a real shame that the narrator has been changed for this the latest book in the series, playing havoc with already established charters, intonation and timbre just do not flow.

Any additional comments?

Go back to Sean Barrett for any new books, maybe even get this one redone ???

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