Category: Audio Book Reviews

Out Now: #TheOtherHalf by Mark Billingham and My Darling Clementine

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The Other Half album cover

The Other Half album cover

Today is the release day of something rather wonderful. Best selling crime writer Mark Billingham and award-winning country duo My Darling Clementine have come together to collaborate on a fabulous album – The Other Half.

Here’s what the blurb says: “With her best years seemingly behind her, a former Las Vegas showgirl works double shifts in a rundown Memphis bar. Alone and estranged from her daughter, Marcia lives life vicariously through her customers and the everyday tragedies of people falling in and out of love. These are moving tales of grief and heartbreak, lust, murder and domestic horror. Serving beer and burgers as these very different stories unfold, Marcia reflects on her single doomed shot at happiness. Then one day, she receives a phone call that changes everything …”

I was super lucky earlier this week to go to the launch event for the album and got to hear some of the story performed live. It’s breathtakingly good – great story, fascinating characters, amazing music and vocals – and transports you right there to the bar in downtown Memphis where Marcia works.

It’s a perfect pairing of spoken word and songs woven together to tell a hauntingly compelling story of heartbreak, horror and hope.

Simply wonderful – a real must-listen.

Mark Billingham & My Darling Clementine on stage

Mark Billingham & My Darling Clementine on stage

The album is available on CD, Audiobook and limited edition vinyl. On it Mark Billingham and My Darling Clementine are joined by special guest performances by brilliant actor David Morrissey, singer-songwriter legend Graham Parker, and the Brodsky Quartet.

To listen for yourself, hop on over to The Other Half website to hear a clip http://www.theotherhalfshow.com/content/the-album

And, you can watch them perform The Other Half live on their UK tour (I’ve already booked my ticket!) – for dates and venues head over to http://www.theotherhalfshow.com

To find out more about Mark Billingham hop over to http://www.markbillingham.com and follow him on Twitter @MarkBillingham

To find out more about My Darling Clementine pop over to http://www.mydarlingclementinemusic.co.uk and follow them on Twitter @My_Darling_Clem

 

[I bought my own copy of The Other Half]

 

 

AudioBook Addict reviews: The Child by Sebastian Fitzek – an abridged dramatisation

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Today, AudioBook Addict takes over the controls at CTG HQ to give his verdict on new audible drama The Child by Sebastian Fitzek. Here’s what he has to say …

The Child cover image

The Child cover image

Title: The Child

Author: Sebastian Fitzek

Narrated By: Rupert Penry-Jones, Jack Boulter, Emilia Fox, Stephen Marcus, Robert Glenister, Andy Serkis

Run Time: 6 hrs and 56 minutes

Abridged Dramatisation: released on 07/08/2014

What the blurb says: “My name is Simon. I’m 10 years old. I’m a serial killer.

Robert Stern (Rupert Penry-Jones), a successful defense attorney, doesn’t know what lies in store for him when he agrees to meet a new client in a derelict estate on the outskirts of Berlin. Stern is more than surprised, when his old love interest and professional nurse Carina (Emilia Fox) presents him a ten year old boy as his new client. Simon (Jack Boulter), a terminally ill child, who is convinced he has murdered many men in a previous life.”

The review:

So, just to be clear, this is good, very good! But I want to go back a bit and tell you how I got to that conclusion.

I think it was Stephen King in his book ‘On Writing’ that said words to the effect of ‘abridged audio is the pits’ (Stephen, I wholeheartedly agree and if you didn’t say it, I am now). I’d add to that by saying I’d always thought that dramatised, abridged audio would be even worse. I based this only on experiences of listening to recordings with my children, like Blyton’s Malory Towers or The Famous Five – this is not them!

The story itself is excellent – dark, edgy, challenging – everything I like in my crime thrillers. From the time we first meet Simon, you’re compelled to like him and (NO SPOILERS) the relationships that build, grow and break down during that story are crafted masterfully. The action and intrigue are non-stop and at just short of 7 hours – I wanted more.

The recording and scripting are simply excellent with first class narration and, whilst the sound effects in previous recordings have seemed to distract me from the story, here, the sombre music and effects only served to add genuine atmosphere to this excellently creepy book. The young boy, Simon, narrated by Jack Boulter deserves a special mention for his excellent role; I really rooted for him throughout the book. Also, Robert Glenister put in another superb performance equal to that of his work on The Cuckoo’s Calling and The Silkworm.

Recommended

 

[With thanks to Audible UK for a review copy of The Child.]

AudioBook Addict reviews: The Necessary Death of Lewis Winter by Malcolm Mackay

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audio book cover

audio book cover

The Necessary Death of Lewis Winter

Author: Malcolm Mackay

Narrated by: Angus King

Run time: 8 Hrs and 12 mins

Unabridged – released on audiobook 06/06/2013

What the blurb says: “An arresting, gripping novel of dark relationships and even darker moralities: introducing a remarkable new voice in crime fiction.

A 29-year-old man lives alone in his Glasgow flat. The telephone rings; a casual conversation, but behind this a job offer. The clues are there if you know to look for them. He is an expert. A loner. Freelance. Another job is another job, but what if this organisation wants more? A meeting at a club. An offer. A brief. A target: Lewis Winter. It’s hard to kill a man well. People who do it well know this. People who do it badly find out the hard way. The hard way has consequences.”

Ok – full disclosure – when I started this audiobook, I just didn’t like it at all! The style felt like head-hopping and when other reviewers said it was ‘different’ they weren’t kidding. BUT, boy am I glad I stuck with it. This debut novel by Malcolm Mackay follows a young freelance gunman as he is drawn deeper into working for a gangland organisation. The novel is written in a way that zooms out from the actions and dialogue and takes you into the mind and thought processes of the characters – I think, dredging up memories of my MA, that it actually verges on meta-fiction in parts.

Callum is a freelance gunman and is asked by Peter Jameson, the head of an ambitious criminal gang, to kill Lewis Winter; the man’s death is necessary. We follow Callum on the job, see him prepare and watch him interact with the characters that will assist him to complete the job, and those that will hunt him afterwards.

This novel is really well written. Any misgivings that I had in the beginning were only due to the fact that this is a genuinely different type of novel to those I normally read (or listen to). Mackay openly discusses the thought processes of the characters and this draws you into them even more as the story goes on. At a little over 8 hours, the length was good, although, as is often the case, I would have happily listened for longer. Angus King is a solid narrator.

I have already bought the next audiobook in the series, ‘How a Gunman says Goodbye,’ and that alone is testament to just how good this book is.

Highly recommended.

[AudioBook Addict bought his own copy of The Necessary Death of Lewis Winter]

Audio Book Addict’s Review: Laidlaw by William McIlvanney

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Self-confessed audio book and crime fiction addict James Law drops by the CTG blog to talk about his most recent listen …

Laidlaw: Audible Audio Edition Cover

Laidlaw: Audible Audio Edition Cover

Laidlaw: A Laidlaw Investigation, Book 1

Author: William McIlvanney

Narrated by: William McIlvanney

Run time: 7 hrs and 17 mins

Unabridged – released on audiobook 02/05/2013

What the blurb says: “Meet Jack Laidlaw, the original damaged detective. When a young woman is found brutally murdered on Glasgow Green, only Laidlaw stands a chance of finding her murderer from among the hard men, gangland villains and self-made moneymen who lurk in the city’s shadows. Winner of the CWA Silver Dagger.”

The original coiner of ‘There’s been a murrrderr,’ this is the introduction to William McIlvanney’s Laidlaw, a detective in Glasgow that is different to many of his colleagues. Laidlaw seems to have a deeper understanding of criminals and the crime underworld – he sees the human traits that show that they are still people, despite their sometimes-terrible actions.

When a young girl is murdered Laidlaw picks up the scent and begins to navigate the Glasgow ganglands searching for the killer. To find her he must utilise a knowledge of the city that is hidden from many of his fellow officers, he must slip into the underbelly of society and understand that it is often not what people say, but what they don’t, that may lead him to his goal.

This novel is beautifully written and gripping from the start. I once heard Ian Rankin say that it was McIlvanney’s novels that influenced his own work. It was that comment that made me look for this book and I wasn’t disappointed. A self-confessed audio book addict, I loved the story, the vivid description of Glasgow and its people, and the narration. McIlvanney obviously knows his city and characters intimately and this comes across in the faultless delivery of this story.

The length was just right, although I would have happily listened for longer. I believe that the second book is being recorded and I will certainly be listening to it as soon as it is released.

Highly recommended.

[James Law bought his copy of the Laidlaw audiobook]