A Killing on the Hill Audiobook By Robert Dugoni cover art

A Killing on the Hill

A Thriller

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A Killing on the Hill

By: Robert Dugoni
Narrated by: Robert Dugoni
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About this listen

A gripping new thriller from New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni.

The Great Depression. High-level corruption. And a murder that’s about to become Seattle’s hottest mystery. It’s the kind of story that can make a reporter’s career. If he lives to write about it.

Seattle, 1933. The city is in the grips of the Great Depression, Prohibition, and vice. Cutting his teeth on a small-time beat, hungry and ambitious young reporter William “Shoe” Shumacher gets a tip that could change his career. There’s been a murder at a social club on Profanity Hill—an underworld magnet for vice crimes only a privileged few can afford. The story is going to be front-page news, and Shoe is the first reporter on the scene.

The victim, Frankie Ray, is a former prizefighter. His accused killer? Club owner and mobster George Miller, who claims he pulled the trigger in self-defense. Soon the whole town’s talking, and Shoe’s first homicide is fast becoming the Trial of the Century. The more Shoe digs, the more he’s convinced nothing is as it seems. Not with a tangle of conflicting stories, an unlikely motive, and witnesses like Ray’s girlfriend, a glamour girl whose pretty lips are sealed. For now.

In a city steeped in Old West debauchery, Shoe’s following every lead to a very dangerous place—one that could bring him glory and fame or end his life.

©2024 La Mesa Fiction LLC. (P)2024 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.
Crime Thrillers Fiction Historical Legal Thriller Mystery
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Critic reviews

“The elements of a scandalous crime are everywhere: a dubiously employed moll who could be a ringer for Jean Harlow, a former boxer with big money problems, a nattily dressed gangster insisting he shot his assailant in self-defense and the illegal nightclub whose patrons are rumored to include the mayor, various council members and even the chief of police.”—Alida Becker, New York Times Book Review

“William’s romantic coming of age takes up almost as many pages as his journalistic work, giving parts of A Killing on the Hill a poignant sweetness reminiscent of Thornton Wilder. But William’s forays into his new hometown’s shadier regions are as hard-boiled as any pulp-magazine novella.”—Tom Nolan, Wall Street Journal

"Dugoni scores a decisive win with this tale of greed, lust, and bloodshed: it’s chock-full of expertly drawn characters and plenty of historical lore, and its note-perfect noir atmosphere could accommodate James Cagney. Here’s hoping this gets the series treatment.”Publishers Weekly (starred review)

What listeners say about A Killing on the Hill

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Grit and Desperation

Robert Dugoni has a way of drawing you into his stories. For this novel set in the depression, grit and desperation are practically their own characters.

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6 people found this helpful

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Great Story Line

As expected, another fantastic book by Mr. Dugoni. The story was interesting, and unique. Even a couple interesting surprises. Looking forward his next book.

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4 people found this helpful

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Great characters

The author did a magnificent job of character voicing…. My first inclination was he might not be able to do so. 

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4 people found this helpful

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Great tale of seedy '30s Seatle

Really enjoyed this story and it's "pulpy" feel from the perspective of a newspaper man instead of a hard boiled detective or Private Eye. I don't read many mysteries so it was intriguing enough for me and not too predictable.

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2 people found this helpful

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Heart warming “Who done it” story.

How refreshing to find honesty in a dishonest world. Maybe there is still hope. Hard to put down. Recommended read!!

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Multi-Talented Author and Narator

Mr. Dugoni, I had no idea you could narrate so well. The book was interesting and your narration was beyond great. It is the best I have listened to with multiple characters and one narrator. Eduardo Ballerini is good, but you do the female voices a lot better than he. I am so proud of you. I had one credit and I saved it for you.

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Captivating Story

Excellent characterization. Good portrayal of the 30’s in Seattle. The story is well written and was hard to put aside for other activities.

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The difference in people's expectations.

I loved experiencing the way things were in the 30's. It was quite the eye opener. Interesting story too. Well worth the credit. I hated for it to end, even though I appreciated the ending

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The author ends up being a great narrator!

4.25 Stars 🌟

This was a new direction from Mr. Dugoni and I wasn't sure what to expect. I am a big fan of his other series, particularly the Tracey Crosswhite series and the Charles Jenkins series. This was more of a historical fiction stand alone (at least I think it's a stand alone).

The setting is the early 1900's - I think it is set in 1933 - so right in the middle of the Great Depression. We get to meet William “Shoe” Shumacher who is a very young kid who is trying to help his family out by getting a job to help support his family. He is originally from the Mid-West, but through a friend of a friend, they learn that there is an opening for an apprentice for a newspaper in Seattle Washington. So, he arrives in Seattle with a suitcase and pretty much nothing else. But William is ambitious and little by little he begins to make a name for himself as he gets the new job promotion to a reporter on the crime beat.

Things start to become interesting when there is a murder of a man from "The Underworld" or the crime-like mafia in the city. For some reason, the lead detective Blunt gives William the scoop and takes him under his wing for the beginning of the investigation. This case then develops into the "Trial of the Century".

Little by little, William is beginning to wonder if he was chosen because of his naivety and if he is being manipulated once it becomes clear that there is more to the case than meets the eye.

I liked this book. I actually LOVED the details, like 2 cents for a newspaper, and a quarter was a ton of money. Mr. Dugoni paints a very colorful and descriptive setting and it was easy to picture the events as they were happening.

The storyline gets interesting and you do not know until the very end WHO is actually involved in the bigger picture. So - yep, another winner.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that Robert Dugoni is the narrator. When I saw that I thought, "Uh Oh" because sometimes when an author chooses to narrate his own book, well sometimes that can be good, but most of the time, it is not. I am happy to say that I thought he did a fine job with the narration. *Phew!*

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Dugoni Doesn’t Disappoint

A great read from an amazing author. I’ve loved every single book Robert Dugoni has written, and this one follows suit. A cast of multi-layered, likable characters paired with mystery, suspense, a little bit of humor and topped off with some feel-good moments. Very enjoyable listen. Definitely recommend.

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