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Langer MD

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Entertaining - if Sophomoric - Crime Thriller

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

Reviewed: 2025-01-01

This Allen Eskens tale is a somewhat convoluted story about the mysterious murder of an heiress and mother, a single-minded cop trying to prove the woman's husband guilty, and a lawyer attempting to prove his friend innocent. The writing is capable, the relationships between the characters are satisfyingly intertwined & complicated, and the investigation is twisty-turny & loaded with well-timed revelations.
On the other hand, Eskens tends towards the hyperdramatic, the trial is distinctly "Perry Mason" over-scripted with a farfetched conclusion, and peripheral characters are two-dimensional caricatures (the "rich bitch" and the "politically ambitious DA", for example). Parts I & II are excellent, but once we reach the climax, it becomes quite clear that this isn't Eskens's best work.

As to presentation: Because the author presents the book from multiple POVs, Tantor Audio Inc. casts David Colacci, Brittany Pressley (a single chapter), and the inimitable R.C. Bray to read the book in a team effort. I can't fault the editorial decision to multicast the project.. but kind of wish they had stuck with a single narrator.

Altogether, I have to wonder why this book is included as part of a series - the Joe Talbert character makes no appearance - but, regardless, 'The Heavens May Fall' merits 7 stars out of 10. I am grateful to have gotten the audiobook as a 'Plus' option - it was fun - but it’s a little bit too amateurish in conclusion to warrant a Credit if they ask for one.

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Fascinating Matter-Of-Fact Testimonial

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

Reviewed: 2024-12-31

This book was gifted to me by my brother. It relates the conversion of a headhunting-cannibal tribe in 1950s New Guinea that not only had no concept of redemption - but actually valued betrayal so highly that they considered Judas the hero of the Easter story.
Canadian Missionary Don Richardson describes how a relatively obscure intertribal wartime sacrificial tradition - the Peace Child - became the key to teaching The Word. God also arranges other events that make the saving of the Sawi people possible (the empathy-inducing near-loss of Richardson's own children in a tragic accident and the miraculous recovery of an apparently dying tribesman).
Richardson writes with a documentary style that relates the events beautifully but lacks inspiration somewhat.

As to presentation: Reader Paul Michael delivers commendable diction, timbre, cadence, and tone - as well as impressive interpretations of the Sawi language when the text calls for it. He very occasionally sounds as though he's reading a book lying open on his lap, but this Christianaudio.com product is above-average overall.

Altogether, 'Peace Child' merits 6 stars out of 10. It’s a captivating example of missionary work in the most challenging of conditions and worth a read - although your Credit might be spent better elsewhere.

[Note: the use of genuinely bizarre cultural traditions like the ritualistic desecration of loved-one's rotting corpses to teach God's word is inspiring]

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Surprisingly Captivating

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

Reviewed: 2024-12-30

This Randy Singer novel follows a young rape survivor accused of going on a vengeance spree murdering freed rapists, their lawyers, and the children of the same. The book is well-written, well-paced, populated with interesting characters, and gives thoughtful takes on a number of issues (e.g. insanity defenses vs justifiable homicide).
Less fortunately, Singer tends towards excessive dramatics that occasionally had my eyes rolling and the twists at the end are overdone.

As to presentation: Reader Tom Stecheschulte turns in a professional narration with praiseworthy diction, timbre, cadence, and tone - but an annoying (if accurate) series of Virginia accents. The voice-acting is often over-the-top.. particularly among police officers & convicts in a women's prison.

Altogether, 'By Reason of Insanity' merits 7.5 stars out of 10. It was a more than serviceable 'Plus' selection to distract for a couple of quiet afternoons.. likely even worth a Credit.

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Serviceable Post-Apocalyptic Story

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

Reviewed: 2024-12-29

This Anthony J. Melchiorri tale takes place a few years after a ZA-styled civilizational collapse as outlined in the 'Tide' series (a bioengineered virus that causes the infected to mutate into bloodthirsty clawed naturally-armored monsters called "Skulls" was released). The United States is struggling to rebuild society while remnants of Skull hordes, engineered half-human "Hybrids", and human gangs & cultists wander the wastelands.
The book isn't terribly original but offers passable writing and an "adequate" take on the genre. True, it's an odd combination of sophomoric - cartoonish quasi-military action scenes - and meticulously technical - discussions of biochemical mechanisms of action for various classes of antifungals - but this book is suitably fun.

As to presentation: Reader Ryan Kennard Burke neither drops the ball nor distinguishes himself. The performance is great but nothing that any other professional in Firehawk Press's stable of voice actors could have provided (N.B. Kennard-Burke is very, very good at whisper-shouting.. which is fortuitous since it's, like, ⅔ of the dialogue in the book).

Book One of the 'After The Tide' series rates 5.5 stars out of 10. It warranted the $3.14CDN that I paid for it (I got it on sale).. but it's not worth full price unless you're invested in the characters.

[Note: This book has a reasonable degree of standalone merit.. but so heavily builds on a previous Melchiorri series that you should probably start with Books 1-4 of 'The Tide' before trying this book]

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Fun Suspense-Thriller

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

Reviewed: 2024-12-28

Cate Holohan's storytelling approach is original: two storylines - one following a Thriller author's IRL travails dealing with a friend's disappearance and one following her fictional character's murder of a cheating spouse's girlfriend.
The vocabulary/prose is capable, the description is vivid, and the alternating storytelling technique forces admirable pacing.
Less fortunately, the "jilted spouse" psychological explorations are overdone, character behaviors are a little hard to swallow, "suppressed memories" are overused, and Holohan doesn't do a great job plausibly bringing the storylines together.

As to presentation: the tandem readers Amy McFadden and Lisa Larsen do an above-average job relating the tale. Blackstone Audio Inc. did an excellent job casting and mixing/editing the project.

Altogether, 'The Lies She Told' merits 8 stars out of 10. It was an enjoyable distraction for a couple of quiet afternoons as a 'Plus' option.. but not distinctive enough to warrant a Credit.

[Note: Holohan writes realistic, flawed characters - but not a single one is likable. I struggled to care what happened to any of these people]

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Reminded me of 'Moonlighting'

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

Reviewed: 2024-12-27

Do you remember that Bruce Willis/Cybill Sheppard Detective Agency show from the late 80s? Two smart, funny, attractive people solving crimes while resisting crazy sexual attraction and spouting humorous dialogue. This Paul Levine book is like that on steroids: the crime is erotic/violent (involving a death during a BDSM session), the sexual tension between Steve Solomon and Victoria Lord approaches the explicit & is spicy/arousing, and the humor is expletive-filled & laugh-out-loud ribald.
The tongue-in-cheek approach is occasionally heavy-handed and the characters are unrealistically cartoonish-sexy, but the book is a ton of fun.

Fortuitously for audiobook listeners: Reader Christopher Lane turns in a straight-up brilliant performance reading the book. True, he's occasionally mechanical - sounding like someone reading a text lying open on his lap - but his diction, timbre, cadence, and voice-acting are spot on, and he actually sings some dialogue.. demonstrating impressive dedication to the project.

In toto, this first book in the 'Solomon vs. Lord' series rates 8.5 stars out of 10. It was a no-brainer download when it was on the 'Plus' menu.. in fact, it's worth a Credit for anyone looking for Romantic Comedy with a legal thriller twist.

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Enjoyable

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

Reviewed: 2024-12-26

Bradeigh Godfrey is a physician who offers a thoughtful psychological thriller involving the attempted murder of a pair of sisters - one of which is a pediatrician. It's well-written, well-paced, and meticulously authentic when discussing medical procedures and interventions.
To be fair, the police procedural ends of the investigation are not handled realistically, and the author spends too much effort on an anxiety & self-doubt storyline in her protagonist: Dr. Lillian Donaldson (valuable to characterization but shoehorned into the plot somewhat).. but I was very much entertained by the book - despite an implausible climax/ending.

Also fortuitous for audiobook aficionados: Readers Eileen Stevens and Brittany Pressley share the duties of reading from the perspectives of the two central sisters.. and are excellent. Pressley tends to overenunciate, but I was impressed by both performances.

Altogether, I rate 'Imposter' 9 stars out of 10. I am happy to have gotten the book as a 'Plus' option.. because it's worth a Credit.

[Incidentally: this book hit a little bit too close to home at times - I'm a physician who has watched over loved ones admitted for life-threatening conditions in hospitals where I have worked and listened to diagnoses and prognoses from colleagues - while harboring "insider knowledge" of how terrible things can go. It's not fun]

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Refreshing Approach.. Not For Me

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

Reviewed: 2024-12-25

On the one hand, I can appreciate the popularity of the Horace Rumpole Legal adventures - John Mortimer's tongue-in-cheek storytelling is full of humor and good nature (and endless references to poetry) - but I found it moderately boring. The criminal events that the obstreperous solicitor contends are unspectacular run-of-the-mill cases. Mortimer's focus is much more on character than plot.

As to presentation: Frederick Davidson captures the irreverent tone of the author perfectly - and delivers commendable diction, timbre, and cadence - but his voice-acting is too often over-the-top for my tastes - the characters are often cartoonish. In toto, however, the performance fits the text.

Altogether, I rate this first book in the 'Rumpole of the Bailey' series 6/10-stars. I could see listeners captivated by the originality of Mortimer's style - in which case a Credit would be warranted - but I would personally keep browsing.

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Passable Tale

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

Reviewed: 2024-12-25

Michelle Frances offers a psychological thriller that's unsure if it wants to be a monster-in-law story or a gold-digger tale. The occasionally supportable/occasionally despicable characters make the story frustratingly uncaptivating.
Neither 'Laura' - entitled, insecure, rich TV Network executive helicopter-mother - nor 'Cherry' - avaricious, passive-aggressive, unsophisticated trainee-realtor mercenary girlfriend - is really worthy of full disdain.. but they're not particularly sympathetic either. Frances offers a well-plotted twisty-turny narrative but focuses on so much explanatory traumatic background that the characters - who need to be two-dimensional to make the plot work - are hyperrealistic. Her shifts in 1st-person POV perspectives - from Laura to Cherry and back - don't help either. 'The Girlfriend' is a bit of a schizophrenic chore.

As to presentation: Reader Henriette Meire sounds disinterested on this project for some reason. Her diction and pacing are typically spot-on.. but her voice-acting is acceptable at best and her narration often sounds mechanical.

Altogether, this audiobook merits 5.5 stars out of 10. It was a reasonable distraction for a couple of quiet afternoons as a 'Plus' selection, but not worth a Credit when they ask for one.

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A Must Read

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

Reviewed: 2024-12-24

This Richard Condon novel - ostensibly a Political Thriller about an American GI captured in Korea and programmed to become an unwitting assassin for communist forces when triggered subliminally - is a captivating book. The book is loaded with imagery and allegory, clever satirical observations, and revelations dropped with the perfect timing for keeping the plot flowing. It almost flawlessly dances among the various themes.
Less fortunately, the book oddly emphasizes sexual themes, includes enough obscure references and pithy French/Latin/German phrases to make it almost pretentious, and has a surprisingly tongue-in-cheek cynical mood that threatens its impact.

As to presentation: Narrator Christopher Hurt is above-average overall, but has a reading cadence that includes poorly placed/noisy deep inspirations that Blackstone Audio Inc. sound engineers struggle to manage.

Altogether, this recording of 'The Manchurian Candidate' merits 8 stars out of 10. You might do better getting a text or eBook version of the book - Condon's vocabulary is so extensive that you may need to hilite or keep a Thesaurus handy. As an audiobook, however, I enjoyed this production - especially as a 'Plus' option. Your Credit might be spent better elsewhere, but I would recommend spending it.

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