Wild Thing Audiobook By Josh Bazell cover art

Wild Thing

A Novel

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Wild Thing

By: Josh Bazell
Narrated by: Robert Petkoff, Stephanie Wolfe
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It's hard to find work as a doctor when using your real name will get you killed. So hard that when a reclusive billionaire offers Dr. Peter Brown, aka Pietro Brnwa, a job accompanying a sexy but self-destructive paleontologist on the world's worst field assignment, Brown has no real choice but to say yes. Even if it means that an army of murderers, mobsters, and international drug dealers - not to mention the occasional lake monster - are about to have a serious Pietro Brnwa problem.

Facing new and old monsters alike, Dr. Brnwa's story continues in this darkly funny and lightning-paced follow up to Josh Bazell's best-selling debut.

Also listen to the first book, Beat the Reaper.©2012 Josh Bazell (P)2012 Hachette Action & Adventure Crime Crime Thrillers Dark humor Literature & Fiction Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Suspense Thriller & Suspense Thriller Comedy Fiction Funny Witty

Critic reviews

"[Bazell's books] are hard-boiled thrillers, written in one of the most distinctively entertaining new fictional voices I've run across in years, in any genre. There is a massive density of information in [ Wild Thing]...but Bazell wields it with wonderful lightness. Reading him is like being able to monopolize the attention of the most interesting person at a party...It's so rare that you see a really brilliant writer who is committed, 100%, in every sentence, to giving you a good time. Bazell is, and he does." (Lev Grossman, Time)
"Carl Hiaasen fans will relish Bazell's frenetic sequel to 2009's Beat the Reaper...Bazell expertly blends action, farce, and political satire, and his wide-ranging imagination bodes well for the future of the series." ( Publishers Weekly, Starred Review)
"The book is composed in Bazell's propulsive, profanity-laden style, peppering startling violence with detailed footnotes that cover subjects like tooth reinsertions and human cryogenics...Props to Bazell for not cranking out an idle retread of Beat the Reaper. A funny, unexpected journey for our hero that sets up the next installment with finesse." ( Kirkus)

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Beat the Reaper Audiobook By Josh Bazell cover art
Beat the Reaper By: Josh Bazell
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I adored Bazell's debut novel, Beat The Reaper. The fresh, distinctive voice of the main character, an ex-hitman in the witness protection program studying to be a doctor, was a flat-out revelation. Like Carl Hiaasen and the Coen Bros., Bazell has a talent for taking wacky situations and bizarre characters and weaving them into a truly unique story. Practically the minute this book was available on Audible, I downloaded it. I could not wait to re-enter Bazell's world.

Pietro Brnwa, aka Peter Brown, aka Lionel Azimuth, is still on the run from mobsters who want to kill him. He is plucked from a rotten job as a cruise ship doctor by a "reclusive billionaire" who wants him to join an expedition to a remote lake in Minnesota to investigate the possible existence of a serpent-like monster. Yes, you read that right--a "lake monster" in the vein of the Loch Ness monster, that may be a leftover from the dinosaur age. He is accompanied by a possibly alcoholic (and, of course, attractive) paleontologist named Violet Hurst.

I'm going to stop right there as far as outlining the plot, because to reveal too much would spoil it. While in some ways it's a more conventional mystery plot than the first book, don't worry--there's still plenty of great banter, hilarious observations by Pietro/Peter/Lionel, wild plot twists and out-there characters.

Bazell does present some very strong political views, very pro-science, which will no doubt turn off some readers. This includes a mind-bending cameo by a real-life political figure that is still making me laugh (though I'm pretty sure some will not see the humor in it).

Robert Petkoff does a stellar job with the narration--he gets the snarky tone of the character just right.

I just hope Bazell doesn't make us wait another three years for the next book!

The doctor is definitely IN!

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I really enjoyed Beat the Reaper so I gave this a listen but to my dismay, this book wasn't nearly as good as the first part, which was much more clever and thought out. The sequel was definitely missing that creative format, which was so present in Beat the Reaper. With that said, Wild Thing isn't bad, just not as good and I will say this, Josh Bazell is clearly a really smart guy and some of the subjects discussed in the book such as evolution and science and communism are right on the money. TAlso to note: the narrator also does a very good job too.

So much for the sequel

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I knew what I was getting into after reading Beat The Reaper, and at once Josh Bazell opens with teen sex and skinning dipping. But right away the carnage begins with a new lake monster eating kids and the action really doesn't slow down. His language is foul, I have no real idea what the main character looks like as he discribes himself looking like a d--k with a fist for a head. I may be paraphrasing, but you get the idea. He's an MD and in Beat The Reaper you learned about what bones are the ones you can impact to break while in the line of deadly assassin work, this book you learn about fossel fuel and how close we are to the edge of no return in the energy world. Anyway he's hired to protect a beautiful girl and hunt a new river monster with some rich people and Sarah Palin. It's fun, I highly recommend it. Narrators are excellent.

Wild Thing is completely uncouth. Slight spoiler.

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This novels takes some dangerous, impressive twists and turns, winding up with a political diatribe which was fascinating and factual, but oddly placed. It's clear that after the success of his insane wordfest "Beat the Reaper" (my favorite book in the last 5 years), Josh Bazell felt comfortable enough to start forcing political statements into his novel. I personally agree with him 100%, or more, but I can see others being repelled or confused by the insertion.

The story is extremely strange, not nearly as cohesive as the first book, and I would strongly advise against reading the second without reading the first. Bazell isn't cautious at all about revealing many plot points from BTR, and there are spoilers galore in this second in the series.

The performances are flawless.I kept waiting for Stephanie Wolfe's voice to jump in, but it isn't until the afterword, which is where the amazing passion and intellect of Josh Bazell comes to a full boil.

For me, it was a great, fun book with Carl Hiassen-like assaults on the Right, the 1% and their disregard for - well, anybody but themselves. There are a lot of laugh-out-loud and gotta-write-that-down moments, and as with BTR, I also bought the Kindle version and will be listening to this audiobook again.

Progressive politicos will love it

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I loved Bazell's first novel, Beat the Reaper. It was wry, funny, unpredictable and gritty. Wild Thing is an attempt to continue the series, but not a very good one. It feels like he wrote it for Movie executives. I hope he'll be back with better stuff.

The production and narration were very good. It was the story that bugged me.

Disappointing Second Effort

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Simple escapism with an antihero. Can't recommend it unless your into that mind set at the moment. This is the second book I downloaded by Bazell so I was in the mood...I'm out of it now:)

Fun, Profane, Politically Opinionated

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Would you listen to Wild Thing again? Why?

Unlike it's predecessor in almost every way, Wild Thing is an entertaining merry-go-round of information expertly blended into a plot, filled with a blur of vivid imagery that will keep you guessing.

Ex-hitman turned hippocratic oath holder Lionel Azimuth, aka Peter Brown, aka Pietro Brnwa has been living with a series of unfortunate events hanging over him, like a cloud of crap constantly raining down on his existence. So when a job offer by a billionaire comes around to go on an expedition with a sexy paleontologist, it can only mean more trouble for Lionel.

As the plot thickens, Dr. Azimuth's sea creature safari quickly becomes a thrilling murder mystery chocked full of unsavory characters and edge-of-your-seat intrigue. Amidst all the chaos it seems someone's on to the good doctor, and it's only a matter of time before the mob comes calling. Lionel's luck sucks, but he beat the reaper once. Can he do it again?

Josh Bazell throws his readers a curve ball. The disorienting world of a well known character plopped into this strange almost paranormal situation feels like a complete departure from Beat the Reaper, and gives Wild Thing an air of being a fish out of water. But what starts out as a surreal hodge-podge of various blockbuster movie ideas is just the misdirection gravy Bazell builds his story under. The cloaking thread along with the deposition-like memoire style storytelling creates a collage of sequenced memories, tasks, trivia, and situations which are used to construct the plot lines, while masking the outcome.

This novel is an insane politically charged page turner. That may turn off quite a few readers. You definitely know where the author stands on several issues by the end of the book. Wild Thing was well written despite being heavily ladened with info dumps, which could have become boring or preachy. Paired with the exquisite narration of Robert Petkoff who's voice and portrayal of all the various characters brought out the life of even the most seemingly mundane monologues. Petkoff was perfection with his attitude and inflections, voicing Bazell's smart, funny, and gritty world wonderfully. He's my new favorite narrator. I read the first book but after hearing the second, I will only be enjoying this series through audiobook from now on. I can't recommend the sound version enough. It's truely what an audiobook experience should be.

With his exciting way of storytelling, Bazell doesn't fall into the usual traps and devices overused by many authors. His writing style is cleverly crafted, witty, and just as equally informative as it is entertaining, marking Wild Thing and Bazell a stand out among their contemporaries.

A Wildly Different Thriller

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Would you try another book from Josh Bazell and/or Robert Petkoff and Stephanie Wolfe ?

I think Petkoff is a perfect narrator for this character, and I'd definitely go for this combination of narrator and character again. He doesn't have much of a flair for character voices, but he has a great delivery that sells the humor. Wolfe only reads a 20-minute appendix at the end of the book, so I couldn't really judge her merits as a narrator.

Would you be willing to try another book from Josh Bazell? Why or why not?

Absolutely. I loved Bazell's first book, Beat The Reaper, and I think that some of his talent is still on display here. The problem is that the plot kind of unravels near the end of the book. The end result is a bit anti-climatic and doesn't quite hold together. It didn't turn me off on him as a writer, but it was fairly disappointing after his fantastic debut.

Was Wild Thing worth the listening time?

Yes and no. I'm glad I read it, because I love the main character and am still looking forward to the next book by Bazell, but this one doesn't quite live up to the merit of his first book. Luckily it's a reasonable length, so it doesn't overstay its welcome.

Any additional comments?

The book has several scenes that derail into rants about conservative politics and/or religion that may offend some readers. I consider myself a fairly liberal atheist/agnostic, and I still thought the scenes were a bit heavy-handed and out of place.

Great main character with a faulty plot

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I really enjoyed Beat the Reaper, and this was as good or better. Bazell writes at the edge of the absurd, is fast paced, and laugh-out-loud funny. My only complaint about this book is that I found it pretty hard to get anything else done until I finished it...

A really fun ride

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

The story wasn't bad, but when you've read Beat the Reaper it's hard to have the highest of hopes, it wasn't a complete miss and was entertained through all of it. The narrator once again embodies the main character and the other voices well which holds your attention throughout the eight hours of story telling.

What other book might you compare Wild Thing to and why?

Beat the Reaper as it's the follow up.

Have you listened to any of Robert Petkoff and Stephanie Wolfe ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes once again Beat the Reaper and this tries it's best to follow up but only falls short in story alone not in the narrating.

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

The recounts of the "Wild Thing" can be horrifying and make you sweat a little without notice.

Any additional comments?

Wasn't a bad listen, I'd keep an eye out for both the narrator and the author whenever possible.

Decent Follow Up to Beat the Reaper

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