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  • 95
  • reviews
  • 245
  • helpful votes
  • 415
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  • Killers of the Flower Moon

  • The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI
  • By: David Grann
  • Narrated by: Will Patton, Ann Marie Lee, Danny Campbell
  • Length: 9 hrs and 4 mins
  • Unabridged
  • Overall
    4.5 out of 5 stars 7,141
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars 6,461
  • Story
    4.5 out of 5 stars 6,438

In the 1920s the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Indian nation in Oklahoma. After oil was discovered beneath their land, they rode in chauffeured automobiles, built mansions, and sent their children to study in Europe. Then, one by one, the Osage began to be killed off. The family of an Osage woman, Mollie Burkhart, became a prime target. Her relatives were shot and poisoned. And it was just the beginning, as more and more members of the tribe began to die under mysterious circumstances.

  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • An outstanding story, highly recommended

  • By S. Blakely on 06-22-17

Greed Kills

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

Reviewed: 11-04-18

This is a difficult story to learn. The greed that wiped out so many Osage Indians is difficult to fathom. But it's a compelling book, and brings to light a story that, after 100 years, is nearly forgotten.

That said, I really had a problem with the narration. When I look for books, I often search for Will Patton narrations. He adds so much to the story. This book's high reviews, along with Patton's narration, made it an obvious selection.

Then I started listening. I almost gave up during Ann Marie Lee's narration. I finally set the speed to 1.25, and the cadence picked up. But her narration was lifeless and boring. I kept going knowing Will Patton's narration had to be in it somewhere. It was, and I began enjoying the book, even though the subject is tragic.

But Patton's narration was over much too soon. Danny Campbell became the voice of the author. WHY?? I think the listener would know Will Patton wasn't the author, and it would have been just fine to have him finish the narration. Campbell's narration is serviceable. Much better than Lee's narration. But the whole choice of splitting up the book among three narrators made no sense.

Maybe Patton was busy and couldn't do the whole book. Maybe they couldn't afford him for a total read. Whatever the reason, it definitely lessened the experience. I often listen to my audio books more than once, especially those covering history. But this book won't be one of them.

  • The Scarred Woman

  • Department Q, Book 7
  • By: Jussi Adler-Olsen
  • Narrated by: Graeme Malcolm
  • Length: 14 hrs and 26 mins
  • Unabridged
  • Overall
    4.5 out of 5 stars 1,342
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars 1,236
  • Story
    4.5 out of 5 stars 1,233

Detective Carl Mørck of Department Q, Copenhagen's cold cases division, meets his toughest challenge yet when the dark, troubled past of one of his own team members collides with a sinister unsolved murder.

  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Torn, but great

  • By green ice cream garden on 09-27-17

Old cases merge with new

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

Reviewed: 10-16-18

This was my favorite Dept. Q book to date. It was intricate, and I loved the "bad guy" being an overworked, under-appreciated social worker. Frankly, I'm unsympathetic to her culled-from-the-herd victims. They are particularly unlikable. Dept. Q goes about solving the case(s) brilliantly. Will listen to this book again.

  • Depth of Winter

  • By: Craig Johnson
  • Narrated by: George Guidall
  • Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins
  • Unabridged
  • Overall
    4.5 out of 5 stars 1,845
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars 1,736
  • Story
    4.5 out of 5 stars 1,725

In Craig Johnson's latest mystery, Depth of Winter, an international hit man and the head of one of the most vicious drug cartels in Mexico has kidnapped Walt's beloved daughter, Cady, to auction her off to his worst enemies, of which there are many. The American government is of limited help and the Mexican one even less. Walt heads into the 110-degree heat of the Northern Mexican desert alone, one man against an army.

  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • I miss Vic and Henry!

  • By Nancy R on 09-06-18

Humor and insight replaced by violence

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

Reviewed: 10-10-18

I have read all the Walt Longmire books. The violence in them (it is Wyoming and there are criminals to be found) was offset by Longmire's self-deprecating humor and his touching affection for those around him (especially Dog).

But this book was way over the top. I had to fast forward through much of the torture and violence. Cut up bodies piled in a ditch near the town, skinned faces and put on soccer balls...oh, heck, let's not belabor the point. Walt should have died at least five times at the hands of the maniac who kidnapped his daughter, and didn't. The knife fight instead of just shooting him? Completely unbelievable. If the bad guy was really mad at Walt, why didn't he just kill him and his daughter and a bunch of other people in his life and be done with it? Egos replaced common sense, I guess.

I definitely won't give up on this series, but I'm hoping the author goes back to the Walt that uses his head more than his fists, knives, guns, etc.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

  • Magpie Murders

  • A Novel
  • By: Anthony Horowitz
  • Narrated by: Samantha Bond, Allan Corduner
  • Length: 15 hrs and 48 mins
  • Unabridged
  • Overall
    4.5 out of 5 stars 7,084
  • Performance
    4.5 out of 5 stars 6,530
  • Story
    4.5 out of 5 stars 6,502

When editor Susan Ryeland is given the manuscript of Alan Conway's latest novel, she has no reason to think it will be much different from any of his others. After working with the best-selling crime writer for years, she's intimately familiar with his detective, Atticus Pünd, who solves mysteries disturbing sleepy English villages. An homage to queens of classic British crime such as Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers, Alan's traditional formula has proved hugely successful.

  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • A British Whodunit

  • By Sara on 07-24-17

Thank goodness for fast forward

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

Reviewed: 10-10-18

With a rating of 4.4 in over 6000 reviews, I was sure I would love this book. I read a lot of British mysteries. This story was about a book editor missing the ending of a recently deceased author's mystery, so she tries to solve his death, which initially appears to be a suicide. I knew I was in trouble when the main character's life was at risk, and I was hoping she would meet her end. Thus, fast forward came in very handy toward the end.

I didn't like the book-within-a book premise. I thought it was gimmicky. I really didn't care who did what and why.

The author's characters, setting, descriptions...all were okay. He's clearly a very accomplished writer. But this book just didn't work for me.

0 of 1 people found this review helpful

  • The Little Stranger

  • By: Sarah Waters
  • Narrated by: Simon Vance
  • Length: 15 hrs and 49 mins
  • Unabridged
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars 1,092
  • Performance
    4.5 out of 5 stars 813
  • Story
    3.5 out of 5 stars 810

The Little Stranger follows the strange adventures of Dr. Faraday, the son of a maid who has built a life of quiet respectability as a country doctor. One dusty postwar summer in his home of rural Warwickshire, he is called to a patient at Hundreds Hall. Home to the Ayres family for more than two centuries, the Georgian house, once grand and handsome, is now in decline - its masonry crumbling, its gardens choked with weeds, the clock in its stable yard permanently fixed at 20 to nine.

  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • A creepy story, with atmosphere for days

  • By Lesley on 10-13-14

And the point is?

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

Reviewed: 09-04-18

The writer is extremely talented. Descriptions and characters kept my interest. My problem was that a few unexplained scratchings and sounds in the house, a sensitive and overwrought brother, and a doctor who found the house intriguing since his childhood just didn't satisfy me. An extremely troubling episode was the author throwing in the pet dog's unexplained behavior and subsequent demise. The book has no resolutions. Sure, people died, but that didn't amount to a resolution for me. I won't return this book, but I won't listen to it again.

  • Sapiens

  • A Brief History of Humankind
  • By: Yuval Noah Harari
  • Narrated by: Derek Perkins
  • Length: 15 hrs and 17 mins
  • Unabridged
  • Overall
    4.5 out of 5 stars 16,543
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars 14,615
  • Story
    4.5 out of 5 stars 14,524

Most books about the history of humanity pursue either a historical or a biological approach, but Dr. Yuval Noah Harari breaks the mold with this highly original book. From examining the role evolving humans have played in the global ecosystem to charting the rise of empires, Sapiens integrates history and science to reconsider accepted narratives, connect past developments with contemporary concerns, and examine specific events within the context of larger ideas.

  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Take the Negative Reviews w/ a Grain of Salt

  • By Gabriel on 08-29-18

Favorite Book This Year

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

Reviewed: 08-12-18

This book explains how we (Homo Sapiens) got here in a factual, non-boring way. I loved it. I have to say I skipped parts of it, though. The parts where humans just wipe out all sorts of other species. Truly depressing. That said, the book is just an easy listen. It's a book I'll listen to more than once. VERY well done.

  • Henry Clay

  • The Essential American
  • By: David S. Heidler, Jeanne T. Heidler
  • Narrated by: Jonathan Yen
  • Length: 30 hrs and 27 mins
  • Unabridged
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars 14
  • Performance
    4.5 out of 5 stars 11
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars 11

He was the Great Compromiser, a canny and colorful legislator whose life mirrors the story of America from its founding until the eve of the Civil War. Speaker of the House, senator, secretary of state, five-time presidential candidate, and idol to the young Abraham Lincoln, Henry Clay is captured in full at last in this rich and sweeping biography.

  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • Too much fluff

  • By Amazon Customer on 01-03-19

"probably" "possibly" "maybe" "could have"

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

Reviewed: 08-10-18

I love biographies. I was looking forward to this one. But...I just got tired of the authors' apparent goal of bringing the events to life. When the British attacked Henry Clay's home when he was four, the troops destroyed much of the furnishings, including the feather beds. Henry's mother is standing there in a snowfall of feathers.

That's when I pulled the plug. I understand the desire to bring the people and their experiences to life. I just am not good at waiting for them while the authors make their imaginings the goal of their writing. The "Woman Who Smashed Codes" moved through the subject's history and the history of the US deftly. It was a wonderful biography.

So, I'm returning this book and not looking back.

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

  • Flesh House

  • Logan McRae, Book 4
  • By: Stuart MacBride
  • Narrated by: Steve Worsley
  • Length: 12 hrs and 48 mins
  • Unabridged
  • Overall
    4.5 out of 5 stars 149
  • Performance
    4.5 out of 5 stars 142
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars 140

The fourth thriller in the number one best-selling crime series from the award-winning Stuart MacBride. Panic grips the Granite City as DS Logan McRae heads up a manhunt for 'The Flesher' - one of the UK's most notorious serial killers. The case was closed. Until the killer walked free.... When an offshore container turns up at Aberdeen Harbour full of human meat, it kicks off the largest manhunt in the Granite City's history.

  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • To Gruesom For Me

  • By Lia on 05-22-18

Thinking of Becoming a Vegetarian? Read This Book.

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

Reviewed: 07-03-18

If Hannibal Lector had a deeply disturbed child, this book's suspect is it.

This is my fourth Logan McRae read. I like the character. He is determined, smart and very under-appreciated. The murderer in this book is quite proficient. Body parts cropping up in the food chain. The author is great at describing the truly horrible outcome of people bits being packaged with other meats.

But it just went on and on. I finished the book, hoping for some break In the gore. Nope. All the way to the end.

I'll read more by this author. He's very clever. But this book was simply too disturbing to enjoy..

  • Macbeth

  • William Shakespeare's Macbeth Retold: A Novel
  • By: Jo Nesbo
  • Narrated by: Euan Morton
  • Length: 17 hrs and 27 mins
  • Unabridged
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars 337
  • Performance
    4.5 out of 5 stars 307
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars 307

Set in the 1970s in a run-down, rainy, industrial town, Jo Nesbo's Macbeth centers around a police force struggling to shed an incessant drug problem. Duncan, chief of police, is idealistic and visionary, a dream to the townspeople but a nightmare for criminals. The drug trade is ruled by two drug lords, one of whom - a master of manipulation named Hecate - has connections with the highest in power and plans to use them to get his way.

  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Great story, listen to the sample first

  • By stuartjash on 04-12-18

I love Jo Nesbo, but ...

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

Reviewed: 06-09-18

I saw the author's name and just bought the book. Didn't read the details. If I had, I probably would have gone ahead and read it anyway. Nesbo is a remarkable writer. I love his books. That said, his telling of Macbeth, as brilliant as it is, is grim. I'm probably a simple reader. I like the main character to be a good guy. And, of course, that can't happen in Shakespeare's tale.

This book depressed me. The traitorous acts just kept piling up. I finished the book, but what a slog. The narrator is fantastic. Just brilliant. And I will read more Nesbo. This book just didn't work for me.

  • The Woman Who Smashed Codes

  • A True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine who Outwitted America's Enemies
  • By: Jason Fagone
  • Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
  • Length: 13 hrs and 36 mins
  • Unabridged
  • Overall
    4.5 out of 5 stars 1,197
  • Performance
    4.5 out of 5 stars 1,101
  • Story
    4.5 out of 5 stars 1,093

In 1912, at the height of World War I, brilliant Shakespeare expert Elizebeth Smith went to work for an eccentric tycoon on his estate outside Chicago. The tycoon had close ties to the US government, and he soon asked Elizebeth to apply her language skills to an exciting new venture: code breaking. There she met the man who would become her husband, groundbreaking cryptologist William Friedman. Though she and Friedman are in many ways the Adam and Eve of the NSA, Elizebeth's story, incredibly, has never been told.

  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • An important biography, perfectly told

  • By sarah brown on 10-25-17

A Perfect Biography

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

Reviewed: 03-20-18

Elizebeth Smith Friedman's life is told expertly. Love, betrayal, wars, societal change, brilliance all blend into a truly engaging story. The explanation of code breaking was a wash for me. Some people may "see" the patterns while listening to the book. I couldn't. But it certainly was a minimal part of the book. The focus was on Elizebeth and her quiet determination to overcome discrimination to break codes that led to catching rum runners and Nazis.

Along the way, the author's description of the Nazi's attempt to take South America, J. Edgar Hoover's grandstanding, and the description of breaking the various enigma machines all contribute to an enjoyable "read." Cassandra Campbell's narration, including German and Spanish pronunciations, was outstanding.

I loved this book.
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