Great thriller

It was a great thrilling ride. I enjoyed the book a lot. Well developed plot and characters.

My only compliant would be the editing. There is a lot of background noise that is very evident when u speed up play.

“I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher in return for an unbiased review."

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Not what I expected, but okay

The cover of "Acoustic Shadows" (2015) by Patrick Kendrick shows a woman peering around a corner obviously facing danger. However, she actually plays a supporting role in the story. The main character is a male law enforcement officer assigned to investigate a mass school shooting at an elementary school in Florida, where the woman shot the two assailants with a gun she carried in her purse. The story is somewhat interesting and the narration by Scott Ellis is effective but I was never able to get over the false advertising. Barely recommended. Book given free for an honest review.

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wow I'm very impressed with story

wow, this was a tough story to get through. since this is such a heart wrenching and so close to life. I'm saying this book will bother u not because it's bad but because it's that good and so real and frighting. if realistic novels bother u then I think this story will play on ur mind. but I found it a edge of ur sest, heart beating hard and tears to ur eyes. honest review for the book to listen to.

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Very Exciting Action/Suspense a la Patterson.

Would you consider the audio edition of Acoustic Shadows to be better than the print version?

Audio books are always better than print because you can listen while driving or doing chores. They are the ultimate multi-tasking chore.

Who was your favorite character and why?

That is a toss-up between Erica and Theory. Erica is a strong, resourceful character who survives multiple attacks on her life. She thinks quickly on her feet. She hides the children during the attack on the school and finds an opportunity to shoot back.

Theory is a police officer who embodies the nobility and bravery of police work. He is an honest and dutiful ex-football player who cares about doing what is right. He also has no patience for office politics.

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

The narrator gives a very good performance with unique voices for each character. This is a fast paced story that benefits from Ellis' style.

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

This is a great story. It is not political. It is not pro or anti gun. Both sides are presented in a realistic way without being the focus of the story. Rather opinions are organically and realistically expressed as part of the story (but not an important part). It is an action story with an interesting premise, good dialogue, intricate plot, and good action scenes with graphically realistic violence.

Any additional comments?

This book contains a two mild sex scenes and realistically graphic violence. The violence is an organic part of the story. I received this book for free from the author, narrator, or publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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2 people found this helpful

Mixed feelings

A good audiobook usually produces laughter or tears. This produced groans over the sometimes corny dialogue and occasional factual errors. However the story was so entertaining and the action nonstop I still enjoyed this book.

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"Like the crack in the glass of the picture ..."

Any additional comments?

A young nurse named Millie, a desperate gambler, an angry drugs lord, damaged law enforcement agents, a witness protection, a prosecution gone wrong, hired hitmen - and murder, murder, murder.

To say that this story is one of constant action is almost to underestimate the fast paced excitement. But unlike many action thrillers which simply move swiftly from one incident filled scene to the next, Patrick Hendrick manages to infuse his various characters with solid, three dimensional life. This, of course, makes each harrowing attack, whether psychological or physical, that they endure so much more poignant and involving. It is a fairly long book but never for a moment does the tension subside.

The excellent characterisations are further enhanced by Scott Ellis's masterful performance. His voicing of each one is individual, distinct and pertinent to the person concerned. Hard to believe, sometimes, that this isn't a full cast but that he alone is reading. However, I did increase the speed slightly to 1.20, as the slightly faster narration seemed to better fit the pace of the book.
The overall experience was given an additional little tweak by the inclusion of background sound effects in the first and some concluding chapters.. Whilst adding atmospherics, these occasionalyy surprised or distracted slightly from the reading itself but mostly added to the intensity.

This is one very exciting book with flawed, real life characters and a complex plotting of the storyline. My thanks to the rights holder for gifting me a copy via Audiobook Boom. I enjoyed it immensely and definitely commend it to anyone who likes their thrills to come with a solid story and three dimensional protagonists.

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Kept my interest, but not a top thriller

I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator, with a promise to honestly review it when finished. As such, I put off listening to it, assuming (wrongly) that it might not keep my interest. However, it is a good listen, and while not compelling - that is, I did not feel the need to sit in my car to keep listening as I do with some outstanding books- I did look forward to listening each day. It's the story of a school shooting, the mysterious substitute teacher whose classroom was entered by a shooter, and the law enforcement agent who works to solve the case. At times it was a bit slow, but generally speaking the book moved at a good pace. While I enjoyed listening to it, there was nothing memorable about it- I like a book where I'm compelled to find another by the author when it's over. This was not that book.

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Buckle your seatbelt!

Wow! This is my first experience with Patrick Kendrick. This story grabs ahold of your attention quickly and keeps it. The story is fast paced and full of action. Scott Ellis delivered a fantastic performance. I look forward to many more books by Kendrick. I was given this audiobook at my request in return for my honest review

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A Chase Thriller with Strong Main Characters

What did you love best about Acoustic Shadows?

Acoustic Shadows has elements of some of the "big name" thriller writers and characters that are more readily likeable.

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

I lived only a mile away from the Aurora, Colorado theater shootings in 2012 and worked a few miles from the 1999 Columbine High School rampage. I was horrified at the Sandy Hook Elementary school massacre as I watched on television also in 2012. This book opens with a similar assault on a school. Though I am not a gun advocate, I always wonder what might have been... what if someone else was armed in these situations?
That was the hook. The book progresses through the situation. Why did the substitute teacher have a gun? And the story developed quite well from there.

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

This is the third or fourth audio book I've listened to utilizing Scott's talents. He is blessed with the ability to get the author's story across to his audience. Very listenable, a large range of believable voices. He develops excitement and drama appropriate to the books he chooses to interpret. Bottom line, he's very good at his chosen field!

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

I'll just run away.

Any additional comments?

This was a very good action thriller. excellent narration!

Thanks for the opportunity to review Acoustic Shadows!

This review copy audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost. Which I can only assume was voluntary on their part. I am happy to give my honest review of it. I think I'm suppose to mention how reviewing this was voluntary on my part too.

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1 person found this helpful

Acoustic Shadows

Acoustic Shadows
: Patrick Kendrick

A fast paced twisting and turning law enforcement thriller. It all begins with a school shooting and grabs the listener by the collar, dragging them along on a wild ride. Backstory keeps nerves tingling.


The narration was well done.The characters were well portrayed. Scott Ellis voices are riveting!



"I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator."

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