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  • Written in Dead Wax

  • The Vinyl Detective, Book 1
  • By: Andrew Cartmel
  • Narrated by: Ben Allen
  • Length: 13 hrs and 50 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (1,740 ratings)
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Written in Dead Wax cover art

Written in Dead Wax

By: Andrew Cartmel
Narrated by: Ben Allen
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Summary

He is a record collector and a connoisseur of vinyl, hunting out rare and elusive LPs. His business card describes him as the Vinyl Detective, and some people take this more literally than others.

For example, the beautiful, mysterious woman who wants to pay him a large sum of money to find a priceless lost recording on behalf of an extremely wealthy yet shadowy client. And so begins a painful and dangerous odyssey in search of the rarest jazz record of them all....

©2016 Andrew Cartmel (P)2016 W.F. Howes Ltd

Critic reviews

"The Vinyl Detective is one of the sharpest and most original characters I've seen for a long time." (David Quantick)
"Marvellously inventive and endlessly fascinating." ( Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about Written in Dead Wax

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Story
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Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

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

BRILLIANT

I loved this book. it's a mad adventure with more twists than a vodka martini.
I really can't wait for his second offering, coming out in 2017, I'm told.
The writing is tight, funny and rip-roaring.
I also loved the narration.
This was a great experience.

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49 people found this helpful

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

Twee

Not sure why this book got such great reviews. I think its meant to be quirky but its really just a bit twee and in the end not a particularly interesting, exciting or convincing story. Its easy listening, sort of like the music that comes before the shipping forecast on radio 4; so if you want something to lull you to sleep at night this is a winner. It was never so bad that I had to switch it off (although female main character almost had me there several times), so I did eventually did get to the end of it. But having achieved that, I just felt annoyed because I generally don't think its fair to return a book that you actually listened to all of.

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44 people found this helpful

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

Enjoyable, intelligent , gently witty escapism.

A slightly geeky hero who loves Hi-Fi, cats and coffee and a fast moving plot. what could go wrong?
Narrated excellently in terms of speed and clarity. I do not remember any jarring notes.
I had read the book and thoroughly enjoyed it and despite remembering the plot well ,enjoyed the audio book more.
Somehow the character interactions came more alive.

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31 people found this helpful

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

Fabulous

This is a wonderful book. I wanted to find out what would happen but didn't want it to end. It is well read too and, yes, there are cats in it. A giggling good read.

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20 people found this helpful

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

A quirky story

Would you listen to The Vinyl Detective: Written in Dead Wax again? Why?

Not sure that I would listen to the story again because the build up to the outcomes would be spoilt.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

No favourite characters but I did enjoy the descriptions of the jumble sales, the charity shops, the car boot sales etc - all part of my life's experiences.

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

Just a silly smile most of the time - it is a light hearted book about some serious topics - large corporations and items of value.

Any additional comments?

A very different listen but worthwhile. The narration hit just the right sort of non descript tone.

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Di
  • 28-05-17

Excellent plot....maybe a bit of a slow start but give it a go!!

I felt this had a slow start. I nearly gave up. So pleased I came back to it. A really good plot with lots of twists and turns. I really enjoyed the book. A very unusual plot.

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15 people found this helpful

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

Slow burner but worth it

I nearly bailed on this three or four times in the first hour or so. The pace was slow and I wasn't overly enamoured of the narrator's slightly comedic intonations for some of the characters. However... really pleased I didn't. It turns into an absorbing yarn with some interesting twists. The narrator also grows on you and by the end I was quite fond of his style. Definitely worth giving it a go.

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13 people found this helpful

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

A satisfying slow-burner of a story

I really enjoyed this story. It isn't a fast-paced, action-filled thriller, but an intelligent and intriguing story which just keeps leading you along at a comfortable pace and keeps you listening. I love the detail about the world of vinyl record collecting and the distinctly shady world of US jazz in the 40's and 50's. The characters are well-developed and the good guys are all believable and likeable. If I have a complaint, it is only a very minor one and that is that the way in which a key character emerges from a major event in the first part of the story to reappear in the second part is a little bit "and with one bound he was free!". Ben Allen's narration is excellent, well-paced and brings the characters to life. A very satisfying listen.

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13 people found this helpful

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

Very original

Like the previous reports the story is a slow burner but the story and the originality is a dream.

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12 people found this helpful

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

Loved it

Clever story, great characters and excellent narration. One that I'd recommend to others looking for some good entertainment!

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10 people found this helpful