Boring....

I bought this set because I read a thread on Facebook with peopl raving on it.
I guess I must have dufferent taste....
The dodgy accents, the narrator sounds far too old to be the 'hero' - more like the older chap out of Charlies Angels than a dynamic ex-cop with 'stunning' women hanging from his arm...
Neither did I care for the casual sexism within the prose.
Nope - not up to my usual standard of listening so will be returning it.

3 people found this helpful

Badly written sexist drivel.

Sorry, I tried really hard with this one but it is pure misogynistic rubbish. I’m going to ask for my money back

2 people found this helpful

Harry Starke

Absolutely loved books 1-3 and brilliantly narrated by Tom Lennon, look forward to listening to the rest of the series

1 person found this helpful

great new series - well worth the listen

I am always looking for new authors and i do like Blair Howards character Harry Starke. Its well worth the listen, the back to back book.

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Really struggling to listen.

Where does The Harry Starke Series: Books 1-3 rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Quite low in my list to be honest but not the worst.

The main problem for me is that it rambles, for instance you don't just meet new characters you get a two page rundown on what they're wearing, where they bought the clothes and why there's a stain on the shirt!

Harry himself is not particularly likeable, he's a womaniser and some of the comments on the women's appearances are straight out of the 70's, they actually made me cringe in places; the narrator didn't help either, but more on that below.

Hoping it improves as I'd really like to have found a new crime series to listen to and the plot ideas are there but...

Would you recommend The Harry Starke Series: Books 1-3 to your friends? Why or why not?

No I'm afraid not, only because the first book and the narrator are so cheesy.

What didn’t you like about Tom Lennon’s performance?

I have to say his performance is at times quite wooden, almost as though he's reading it a word or two at a time with no expression to speak of.

I've been spoiled recently as been listening a lot to Scott Brick, Ray Chase and Jeff Harding and they're very hard acts to follow, but even so it is pretty bad.

I see the rest of the series are narrated by the same guy, this made me very sad and I'm not sure I'm going to be able to continue.

I'm pushing on but the robotic performance is really starting to get to me!

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

Not so far, certainly not the murders of his daily conquests, yawn.

Any additional comments?

I'm afraid the narrator reminds me of my husband reading to our children at bedtime in the early 80's, it worked a treat as it sent them to sleep within a few minutes. The same thing is happening to me!

1 person found this helpful

Really enjoyable - narration was brilliant

So I am going through a Harry Starke binge right now. The narration works for me once I adjusted my thoughts on how I would imagine Harry to sound if that makes sense, based on the books that I have been reading. You can tell that this is written by a man with the thought process but there was some moments of great clarity where the author went through the male thoughts and fears which gave me a completely new perspective.

This is light hearted but deals with series issues like sex trafficking.

I would really recommend this and it was great for when I was walking my dog I just kept going it was so addictive.

I was given a free copy by the author but the review is entirely my own.

Original, Addictive & Cliche Avoiding PI.

'Harry Starke' is a book about a Private Investigator that witnesses a girl throw herself from a bridge. Why would she do that? Is there more going on than first meets the eye? That may sound like a story we’ve heard before but Blair Howard avoids the usual cliches of PI fiction. For one, Harry Starke isn’t a down on his luck drunk, but none-the-less brilliant, investigator. He runs a successful PI firm with a competent staff. The author also avoids making Harry a gun toting hard running hero. Yes he does have a swagger and he is of course the hero of the story but he’s real in terms of his flaws. This is my first taste of the writing of Blair Howard and the best recommendation I guess I can give is to say it certainly won't be my last. In Harry Starke we have a character that is sure to entertain and keep drawing me back time and time again.

'Two For The Money' moved to the top of my book list because I loved ‘Harry Starke’, book one of this series, and was eager to see where Blair Howard would take his Private Investigator next. The answer is into the world of high end investment and murder. $350m has been stolen and a partner in the investment firm has committed suicide. Or has he? Harry Starke knew the man years ago and feels compelled to investigate. The author weaves a twisting tale that takes in many diverse characters all with reason and motive before Harry does what he does best and comes up with a plan to get answers. I won’t give away the ending but I didn't guess where it was going at all. A great book with a character that has quickly become a firm personal favourite.

'Hill House' starts with Harry Starke being called on to help out with an old murder case when the remains of a long dead teenager are found hidden in the floor of the house of the title. This is a fairly dark story that tackles some tough issues. It’s not in any way gratuitous and leaves the details to the reader but it's there. It fires up our hero too, making this case much more personal as he battles to find the people responsible. I personally really enjoyed it as much as I did the first two books of the series. It’s well written and keeps up a steady pace with Starke working the clues to discover what happened all those years ago. Aside from Starke himself Blair Howard has created a good cast of supporting characters that all bring something to the story. Overall this is another good addition to the series.

Tom Lennon does a good job bringing the story to life. Some other reviewers have made the suggestion that he sounds a bit older than Harry Starke is meant to be. Honestly, that was my first thought when I began with this series. He’s very good and tells the tale well despite his, for me at least, odd casting. Overall, a really good read that’s read well.

a 5 star boxed set

Harry Starke box set books 1 - 3
it's a great read and Harry grows on you the more you get to know him.

Highly recommend this series.

A good introduction to the series.

This is a good boxset that gives the first 3 books in the Harry Starke Series.
Harry Starke
This is the first and a very good introduction to the detective. Harry is pulled into a shady world involving politicians, gangsters and sundry folks both rich and poor, when he witnesses and maybe somehow contributes to a woman's suicide.
There is humour, danger, fighting, and more in this book. There are also some moments that are a bit difficult to square with reality, especially his access to and involvement in the official police case, but overall I enjoyed the book.
Two for the Money
This second outing for Harry Starke starts with a phone call from a soon to be dead school friend who hadn't been in touch for years. Money is missing, a lot of money and there seems to be a lot of people with motive. There are more deaths and a fair bit of action. Harry and Kate are more off than on in this story and he gets involved, at least physically with a local TV journalist/presenter. This is not as good as the first book, although the elements are there and I like the style and pace. the story was a bit less engaging.
Hill House
This is 3rd Book starts with the discovery of a young woman, in a house that used to be run as a shelter for vulnerable youngsters. As the investigation goes deeper, it soon becomes clear there is exploitation and trafficking the caring organisations seem to be in the frame.
For me this was a better book than the second. It engaged me and there was action, but also more characterisation. The story links back to characters from previous books, but also brings new people into the frame and we see a little bit more about some of the peripheral people too.
Tom Lennon is a competent narrator and does help to bring the book to life. Enhancing the slightly noir feeling and giving depth to the characters.

Great mystery stories, you'll love the PI.

Great group of stories, I didn't want to turn them off. Interesting stories that held my interest throughout. You end up really liking Harry Stark and his irreverent attitude. I hope there are more stories to come. I loved the narrator's voice for Harry, his rendition of a women's voice was slightly amusing but more than acceptable. I hope to hear him in other books. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes mystery books