Fast Paced Plot, reading could have been better

What made the experience of listening to Lethal Circuit the most enjoyable?

Lethal Circuit is not my normal read/ listen, as an adult genre, mystery, suspense, but I opted to take a listen for the wonderful Candace. The plot starts off strong with action immediately. The main character is in search of his father who he believes was murdered. I enjoyed this fast paced plot very much but the reader was a bit off-putting. The track volumes seem to change in the chapters and not just the reader’s tone, but the actual volume. On second he is speaking and the next he seems to be projecting at almost a yell. This made it difficult to concentrate on the plot itself at times, I found myself focusing on how annoying it was.

The author is very good at conveying the various landscapes and cities that are mentioned throughout the book. The storytelling of foreign countries seems to be his specialty (I have also listened to his Middle Grade book set in India). The twists and turns in the plot keep the reader/ listener on their toes and keep the story at great pace. You just want to keep listening.

I cannot say much more without spoilers so I will leave it at that. Overall impressions: I did enjoy the story very much, but the audiobook reader was annoying at times with his tone, and the production was off-putting with volume levels.

Would you be willing to try another one of Ben Sullivan’s performances?

Not sure, maybe

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A very exciting and well-narrated story.

Although Michael’s father is a businessman who was mostly absent during his childhood, he raised Michael lovingly and they are, even in Michael’s adulthood, very close. So when his father suddenly goes missing somewhere in China, Michael is devastated, until he learns, several months late, that his father might just be alive after all. Upon receiving the news and the video to confirm it, Michael packs his bags and travels to Asia to locate his dad. But what awaits him in this foreign and often hostile country is more danger than he’d anticipated and quite a few surprises along the way.

The story is told mostly from Michael’s perspective, but Guignard included short chapters that focus on Michael’s pursuers. I must admit I found those chapters somewhat disruptive, especially since there was very little to indicate the change in perspectives. I’m not a fan of multiple points of view at best of times, but at least these chapters were short. While I could have done without them, they didn’t bother me nearly as much as I’d assumed when the first one started.

I quite liked Michael. There’s certain calmness in him that was reflected perfectly in Ben Sullivan’s excellent narration. Some might consider it dry at times, but he never slipped into an overly dramatic mode, which was especially important during the action scenes.

Reviewing a book like Lethal Circuit is extremely tricky. Everything I write or even hint at is potentially a spoiler, and I’d like to avoid those at all costs. I enjoyed every curveball this book threw at me and I wouldn’t want to rob you of the same experience. Suffice it to say that nothing is as it seems in Michael’s life. If you decide to read this, and you should, be ready for quite a few surprises.

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Non-formulaic Thriller With A Unique Protagonist

Michael Chase just wants to find his father. Unfortunately, his father disappeared without a trace in China and a little digging reveals that his death was no accident. In fact, it appears his father was involved with a search for a Nazi airplane which various governments and organizations have coveted since WWII. The discovery that a Chinese satellite controlled by the same technology is falling out of orbit makes his search both urgent and a matter of life and death for more than just his father.

Most books that I rate three stars, it’s because I think they deserve exactly three stars. This book has three stars because it’s the middle rating and I have very mixed feelings about it. There are some parts that make me want to give it one or two stars (the main character accidentally ends up in the shower naked with an attractive woman, for crying out loud). But there are also parts that make me want to give it five stars, mostly the refreshingly different protagonist.

So let me get the two things that othered me about it out of the way and then I’ll tell you what made this such a unique thriller. My biggest problem was that we had two storylines with a male protagonist working with a woman who, based on their relative occupations, should have been more skillful than he was. But, of course, the male protagonist solved all of the problems with the woman acting as a sidekick. At the end of each storyline, there was a twist which made me rethink this character dynamic. However, that didn’t negate the fact that I’d spent most of the book really annoyed about it. The other problem I had was with one of these twists, which was a possibility that had occurred to me but which I ruled out because our narrator seemed to be third person omniscient. It bothered me because it made a big difference to how I experienced the story.

That said, if you like thrillers, but like me are getting a bit tired of the standard formula, you should probably give this book a shot. There are a few things that really made this book stand out to me. First of all, the main character has a background that gives him a reasonable chance of doing well after being thrown into a thriller. He isn’t just an average guy who somehow manages to do strangely well acting like a spy. Second, we know about his background because there are flashbacks to his early years with the father he’s searching for. This made me feel like we got to know our protagonist as a person a lot more than in most thrillers. It also added a bit of emotional impact to his search for his father. The twists were also pretty unpredictable, something I think it’s hard for an author to accomplish.

Finally, the narration was perfect for this type of story, but the women often ended up sounding like men. Some might argue this is an improvement over the breathy voice some male narrators use, but I found it a bit off-putting. Otherwise, the narration perfectly captured the drama of a thriller and did a great job making the story come to life.

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A wild ride through China!

Would you consider the audio edition of Lethal Circuit to be better than the print version?

I didn't read the print version, but since I don't read many spy thrillers I think I enjoyed it more as an audio then I would have reading it myself.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Lethal Circuit?

Well, the ending was since it was all so unexpected. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it.

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

I felt like his voice really fit the story and Michael and in my head, reading it, it wouldn't have been the same.

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

I'm not sure. Maybe toward the end when Michael found out some new information.

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Fast-paced thriller

Any additional comments?

This is a fast-paced, action-packed thriller. The basic plot is this: Michael Chase, a man in his mid-twenties, packs his bags and heads to China to investigate the death of his father. Along the way, he finds himself caught up in a plot to uncover a fusion reactor created by the Nazis and hidden in a remote area of China for safekeeping during WWII.

The strength of this novel is its setting, pacing, and plot. The story takes off at break-neck speed in chapter one and does not slow down until the end. The author did an excellent job making me feel like I was actually in China while I was reading. I love books that can transport me to another place.

The overall feel is the larger-than-life plot you see in action/thriller movies like Die Hard, 007, and Indiana Jones. I happen to be a fan of stories with far-fetched, fantastically imagined plots, so I had no trouble getting into this book. If you tend to like your thrillers a bit more on the realistic side, I'm not sure this would appeal as much.

Gotcha Ending

I ended up giving this book a 4 stars. It was a 5 star up until the very end. I don't want to give away the ending, but let's just say the reader is duped from the very beginning. Since the majority of the story was written from the perspective of Michael Chase, the secret being withheld from the audience doesn't play well. But it doesn't diminish the overall fun of this story.

Over all this was a great read. I'm looking forward to the next one in the series.

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A wonderful start to a new spy thriller series

What made the experience of listening to Lethal Circuit the most enjoyable?

It’s quite hard to discuss the plot without spoiling anything, but I will say there was never a shortage of action, and I enjoyed watching Michael travel across China as he uncovers clues about his father’s disappearance. One of the reasons I adore these sorts of globe-trotting espionage stories is because it allows me to be a virtual tourist, and with Lethal Circuit, the sights and sounds of China came alive for me. As with any spy novel, I was prepared to be double crossed by any character, so I didn’t trust anyone, but there were still a few surprises I didn’t see coming, which was lovely.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Michael. He is full of surprises!

What about Ben Sullivan’s performance did you like?

The narration of the audiobook by Ben Sullivan was wonderful. There are flashbacks of Michael learning life lessons from his father, and he made sure to change his voice for those, and his accents were quite convincing. The pace was quick and lively, and I breezed right through the book, unable to stop it unless absolutely necessary.

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

The scenes between Michael and his father.

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Interesting thriller -- Great Narrator

What made the experience of listening to Lethal Circuit the most enjoyable?

This is an interesting story and the narrator did a great job of making the characters stand out from one another -- which helped the listener follow the story and stay engaged.

If you’ve listened to books by Lars Guignard before, how does this one compare?

This is my first Lars Guignard book, but I am interested in checking out his other work and seeing what his other books have to offer!

What about Ben Sullivan’s performance did you like?

Mr. Sullivan is a really good narrator and had a knack for providing ample inflection for the listener to be able to tell the characters apart.

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

If I were consuming the book on a car ride, I would definitely enjoy listening to it straight through. Listening to it at home, it worked well having the opportunity to break it up into sections (but I was glad to get back to it to see what happened next!)

Any additional comments?

Definitely worth a listen. A strong thriller with a really good narrator who knows what he's doing! Will look to see what else Lars Guignard has out in the world!

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Action packed and full of twists

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Depending on the genre you choose to read/listen to; absolutely. Anyone that loves action, spy's and a complicated twisty plot will love this!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Lethal Circuit?

What really shocked and awed me (and honestly, I am still thinking about) is the ending. The last 2 hours was non stop action and everything really starting to click in place. Not to mention, the last few chapters really threw me for a loop.

Did Lethal Circuit inspire you to do anything?

Yes, to look between the lines and not trust anyone!

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Great story; distracting narration

Any additional comments?

Lethal Circuit is fast-paced thrill that I absolutely adored. I'm an old-fashioned kind of girl though, so while I appreciated the convenience an audio book brings - like listening on the treadmill, while I was prepping dinner, and of course while I was baking - I still don't think it takes the place of reading a proper book, printed on paper, with that new-ink smell. I actually found the narration distracting and don't think I got as much out of the book as I could have if I had read it myself.

Lethal Circuit has a well-written, well-imagined plot, and the writing is descriptive, making the reader (or listener in this case) feel like a part of the story. I'm not sure how I feel about the ending, but the next book in the series might help clear things up for me.

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Jaw-dropping action and a fantastic narrator

Where does Lethal Circuit rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

My second favorite. My favorite is still Sissy Spacek's narration of To Kill a Mockingbird.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes! It was unpredictable, I kept trying to figure out what would happen next and never got it quite right. Great cliffhangers at the end of chapters and love how the author interspersed chapters from Michael's childhood amidst all the action.

Which character – as performed by Ben Sullivan – was your favorite?

While I enjoyed his portrayal of Michael Chase, the main character, I was amazed that the same voice narrated Ester, a young Chinese woman. So his portrayal of Ester was my favorite because I completely bought into the character and didn't suspect that it was a male portrayal of a female character.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I found myself with mouth gaping open on several of the action sequences and the ending tore my heart out. Though I didn't openly weep, I did have a major lump in my throat listening to Michael's relationship with his father and how desperately he wants to find him.

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