Ann Prewett

The inestimable captain cook

Reviewed: 10-24-24

A brave and wondrous wayfarer, I knew virtually nothing of captain cook’s exploits prior to reading Hampton Sides latest tale of true adventure. Crisscrossing the globe, plumbing the far reaches of the arctic and Antarctic seas, discovering Hawaii , establishing first connection with almost prehistoric native peoples from Tasmania to Alaska, Cook’s exhilarating real life voyages rival HG Wells imagined adventures on every level. Fourteen hours of listening is too short to convey the richness and scope of just one of Cook’s three miraculous voyages.

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Impecable performance

Reviewed: 04-10-24

The most gripping knuckle biting espionage Cold War tale ever written. The fact that it is true only adds to its powerful message. It seems the effects of over 70 years of unrelenting Soviet domination and communist rule have been forgotten by the current generation of westerners. They may be advised by the protagonist of this story to look within for similarities in policy and governance that are eerily familiar to a Soviet survivalist.

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Desultory musings - stick to day job

Reviewed: 06-09-23

Sincerely concerned author notwithstanding, this is one is filled with desultory musings about the crime and killer. The account is filled with purposeless, rambling explorations of the potential killer’s thought processes, motives and possible maneuvers. I found myself musing myself but not listening to the book. I lost my place countless times and skipped forward and backwards trying to find meaningful content. Sad story but with such poor writing I’m unlikely to even have the patience to find out who was responsible for this horrific crime.

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5 people found this helpful

The king of true crime is dead - long live the new king Steven B Epstein

Reviewed: 02-05-23

Jack Olsen was indisputably the long reigning king of true crime. Not only was he a superb writer, with a gift for the English language that would rival any of his literary peers, he also had an uncanny knack for identifying crimes and killers with complex backstories and psychological underpinnings that allowed the reader to peer into the “why” of the crime and not merely the fact of it. And so sadly, Jack died a few years back leaving his avid fans to feed their true crime habit with lesser artists with more limited repertoires of prose and imaginations. Now, we have Steven B Epstein who has convinced me that once again true crime accounts can be more than a cheap fix for the arm side adrenaline junkie. Steve writes with insight, wit and even humor in his thorough dissections of court room testimonies and their significance. The characters come to life with frank portrayals of mendacity, cunning and evil. I’ve read all three of his works and can’t wait to find out what’s next.

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2 people found this helpful

Readers sing song voicing detracts from great story

Reviewed: 11-10-22

It’s a pity. The reader has an excellent voice and good intonation but his extremely slow pacing with sing song voicing seriously detracts from this powerful story.
His lilting tone is suitable for reading to preschoolers but most adults will be bored and irritated. He could improve with coaching to be sure because he has all the other elements required to be a good narrator. Notwithstanding his rendition, this is perhaps one of the best true crime stories ever written. I think many read true crime because of our yearning for justice in an increasingly chaotic and violent world. The heroine of this story turns out to be an unlikely character- an unfashionable and slightly eccentric pig tail sporting grandma whose resolute character and stalwart insistence to learn the true fate of her missing son pays off- a rare result in this day and age. This true crime book is well written and rates up there with the works of Jack Olsen (Predator) another true story where Justice would not have prevailed but for the intercession of a heroic journalist who refused to accept the simple yet wildly incorrect assumptions made by police and sloppy investigators.

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The mystery continues

Reviewed: 12-22-19

Possibly the most intriguing true crime story ever written. Be prepared if you’re unlucky enough to be caught up in the snares of a bumbling, patently dishonest criminal justice system - your guilt or innocence may have little to do with the outcome.

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1 person found this helpful