CH#4

Brasco's Back in an Explosive and Captivating Tale

Revisado: 11-08-19

Remember Donnie Brasco? For many, the name instantly brings to mind the Mafia and daring undercover work, thanks in part to the 1997 film of the same name starring Al Pacino and Johnny Depp.

Perhaps less well known are the book behind the movie, Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia, and the book’s author, former FBI agent Joe Pistone—the real Donnie Brasco. Pistone’s story is one of incredible sacrifice, cunning, courage, and some impressive acting. Now Pistone has returned, partnering with veteran thriller writer Jon Land, to reprise his original role in fiction. The two have brought us a hard-hitting action thriller that blurs the lines between fact and fiction.

Capitol White continues the adventure of Donnie Brasco years after the true events behind his story. Brasco, a retired FBI agent, learns of a friend’s death, Paul Weinman, with whom he shared the unbreakable bond that grows between an undercover agent and his longtime handler.

Through a pair of agents still in the game, Brasco discovers Weinman may not have died of a heart attack, as the autopsy implies. Brasco is now on the outside, a position the agents feel will enable him to investigate what may be a conspiracy running all the way to Washington D.C.

Every clue, every careful step of his investigation, brings Brasco and his family closer to a shadowed enemy who kills without a thought. To win justice for Weinman and others, Brasco must return to undercover work and infiltrate the most powerful organization he has yet encountered.

Told from Brasco’s point of view in a first-person narrative style, Capitol White bears the feel of a hardboiled detective story worthy of Raymond Chandler. Whatever the deeper conspiracy, justice for the victim drives our hero. And justice for the murdered Paul Weinman drives Brasco to take increasingly dangerous risks until finally breaking the promise he made to his wife that he would never go undercover again. Engaged by a dive into Brasco’s psyche and past in the preceding pages, readers will feel his pain when duty leaves him no choice but to take this awful step.

Pistone and Land take us inside the mind of both the agent and the man as Brasco walks this tightrope between protecting his family and finding justice. Thanks to Pistone’s unmatched experience, we get an expert look at the investigative process. And thanks to Land’s storytelling skill, the suspense builds to an action-packed bang. A captivating blend of startling facts and explosive fiction, fans of Mafia stories, true crime, murder procedurals, and thrillers will all find something to love in Capitol White.

A BookTrib review

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Fun adventure with a deeper twist

Revisado: 11-07-17

Jack and Gwen are back with a new cast, in a story that reaches beyond London. We go deeper into the Ministries of Secrets and Dragons, and we chase a thief through an epic Thieves Guild, all the way to Moscow.

Jack develops a new, extremely cool skill, but he also deals with a type of addiction (via an artifact) and must come to grips with a tragic family issue (unsaid to avoid spoilers). All in all, this is a dynamic, action-packed story that gives the hero a deeper emotional struggle to contend with.

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New Twist on a Hyper Observant Detective

Revisado: 03-08-17

What made the experience of listening to The Lost Property Office the most enjoyable?

The action in this story starts with the first sentence and keeps going to the end, with lots of learning along the way.

What other book might you compare The Lost Property Office to and why?

I'm befuddled by the reviews calling this too similar to Harry Potter. The British setting (a place where government agencies are called "ministries") is the only similarity. The story takes place in a matter of two days or less, rather than an entire school year. The boy is not an orphan. He has loving parents. And he turns a neurological struggle to his advantage to save his dad, rather than relying on unexplained magic. Science abounds. And a real historical mystery is solved. Is it as entertaining as HP? Sure, but it bears little similarity. Now that I write this, I realize the story is much closer to Sherlock Holmes, with a new twist on hyper-observation and a super-cool 12-year-old girl Watson.

Which scene was your favorite?

I love the scene in the ancient submarine transport. But no spoilers.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

A new take on a young Sherlock with a quirky female Watson, complete with hidden worlds, secret societies, and long awaited mysteries.

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Gross and Indulgent

Revisado: 12-22-14

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

I don't like this question. You could not turn this book into a 4 or 5 star experience without completely rewriting the story and giving it a contiguous plot rather than a string of contrived sexual and action scenes.

Has One Kick turned you off from other books in this genre?

No. It just taught me to avoid works from Ms. Cain.

What does Heather Lind bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Heather Lind does an excellent job of expressing the mind of Kick. I truly believed I was listening to Kick's voice. I am sorry she is tied to this particular work.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

This story was good in concept. A sexually-abused girl that was rescued from the world of kiddie-porn has a chance to fight back at the community of sickos that wronged her, as well as save others trapped by the villains. However, the execution is poor, with a thin story line that hops from one shock scene to the other. The author seems to revel in Kick's psychosis, exposing a sexually abused girl to odd reader voyeurism with the shower scene and the sex scene with Bishop. Cain takes gratuitous advantage of the victims of kiddie-porn with no understanding of the real psychological damage they have suffered. Sadly, I'm sure the literary community will call this "ground breaking."

Any additional comments?

Kick's litany of "skills" and the twisted manner in which she supposedly acquired them is just plain silly.

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Slow and Vile

Revisado: 12-22-14

What disappointed you about The Narrow Road to the Deep North?

If this is a Man Booker Prize winner, then we have fallen far. Long, languid prose that goes nowhere is interspersed with vile passages describing the doctor's affairs and infidelity. The actual history is lost amid the author's agenda and determination to show the ugly "reality" of war. Yes war is ugly. Been there, done that. But Flanagan takes cliche to an extreme.

Has The Narrow Road to the Deep North turned you off from other books in this genre?

Absolutely turned me off to today's literary fiction. The genre and community have utterly lost their way in a big competition to see who can use the most purple prose, shock the most, or tie their narrative to the biggest political agenda. This story hits hard on all four of those fronts.

Have you listened to any of David Atlas’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No. I haven't heard any of his other work. He is a compelling narrator, despite this particular work. His voice was the only good thing about this audio book.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

No. Not one.

Any additional comments?

The literary world has fallen far when this book is considered the best it has to offer.

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Strikingly Real Action

Revisado: 12-22-14

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This story really connects with recent events in China. The author mixes real events from the past with fiction to expose Chinese political and military hardline tactics and ambitions. He boils it all up with heart-pounding action and believable characters for a fun and informative read.

What did you like best about this story?

The descriptions of stealth and other military tech were cutting edge. They were not exaggerated to the point of science fiction, but right at the forefront of what an elite special ops team should employ in the near future.

What about Luke Daniels’s performance did you like?

Luke Daniels does a great job with dramatic narration and voices (all except for Nick Barons, which seemed grating). His timing and execution of the narrative passages are excellent and kept me listening.

If you could take any character from Shadow Catcher out to dinner, who would it be and why?

I would have to say Drake Merigold. That guy is hilarious.

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Collateral Damage Out of Control

Revisado: 11-21-14

Would you consider the audio edition of Shadow Maker to be better than the print version?

It is hard for an audiobook to compete with the print version. Obviously, the narrator's choices for character voices are not the same as the voices I hear in my head. That said, I thought all of the narrator's choices were good, except for Nick, who I never though of as so East Coast.

What other book might you compare Shadow Maker to and why?

Shadow Maker is a heart-pounding exploration of what might happen when a black ops hero runs afoul of a terrorist genius. The dominoes begin to fall and the collateral damage spins out of control, hitting very close to home. The action and covert ops feel puts Shadow Maker in the same category as Black Site, and some of the more recent Clancy material, with the exception that there is no foul language. I enjoyed getting all the intensity and action without cringing from an overabundance of F-bombs.

What does Luke Daniels bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Luke Daniels brings his own intensity to the narrative and dialogue. He also adds grunts, breathing, etc. that add realism to the action.

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

The most moving moment in this story occurs in the small chapel where Nick and Drake are hiding out, when the priest stands over Rami and the mother of the murdered girl.

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Great Adventure, Great Characters!

Revisado: 07-14-14

Would you listen to Pirates again? Why?

Yes! I loved the relationships in this book - the give and take between Kate and Thatcher and the honest and loyal friendship between Thatcher and Bane. These characterizations lead to great dialogue that often had me laughing and always kept me riveted.

What other book might you compare Pirates to and why?

That's a tough one because this book stands out in the crowd. I would have to say that the banter and adventure reminds me of a Clive Cussler novel set in the 18th century - assuming that Mr. Cussler threw in a strong female lead to balance Dirk Pitt.

Which scene was your favorite?

There are tons of great action scenes in this book, but my favorites are the quite moments between Thatcher and Kate because the dialogue and action there are so witty and smart. To me the best of those is the scene in the small boat, but I don't want to throw out any spoilers.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. Couldn't turn it off.

Any additional comments?

James Clamp does a masterful job of narrating. Nothing like using a Brit to do UK accents!

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Where is this series going?

Revisado: 06-10-14

Would you try another book from George R. R. Martin and/or Roy Dotrice?

I want there to be dragons. But it looks like we're saving any real dragon scenes for the end of the series, whenever that will arrive. Yes, I'll listen to the next one, but only because I'm so hoping for something better.

What was most disappointing about George R. R. Martin’s story?

The rape and horribleness. This aspect of his writing is completely unnecessary, yet filling more pages in each book.

Did Roy Dotrice do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

Roy Dotrice does an excellent job of not only differentiating characters, but also dividing them up into regional accents.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disgust. Seriously, George, back off the porn. Please.

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Beginning to Drag

Revisado: 06-10-14

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

No. At this point, I'm listening out of a sense of duty to the series.

Has The Hero of Ages turned you off from other books in this genre?

I am unlikely to continue listening to Brian Sanderson books.

Have you listened to any of Michael Kramer’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have only heard Michael Kramer with this series. He is a great narrator. I might look up other titles from him.

Could you see The Hero of Ages being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

No. There is way too much fluff and filler and way too little story.

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