Shadow in the Smoke
The McLaren Mysteries, Book 3
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $19.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Steve Hart
-
By:
-
Jo A. Hiestand
About this listen
Janet Ennis tragically died five years ago in what the police labeled an accidental fire. But Janet’s mother, Nora, believes it to be murder and arson. And she’s hoping ex-cop Michael McLaren can prove it quickly, for she’s losing her memory to dementia.
As McLaren pokes through the case details, he becomes emotionally involved with the dead woman. Yet, Janet isn’t the only person who threatens his mental well-being. A series of arsons on his own property hint that he’s upset someone connected with this case.
Motives for Janet’s murder rise like the smoky tendrils of a fire. And motive aside, the murder scene seems a bit too pat: a drought-stricken landscape eager to lap up flames and a conveniently locked door barring Janet’s escape.
Will McLaren solve the case while Nora can still comprehend the resolution, or will Harvester’s plans see McLaren’s career go up in smoke?
©2015 Jo A. Hiestand (P)2019 Jo A. HiestandListeners also enjoyed...
-
Cold Revenge
- The McLaren Mysteries, Book 1
- By: Jo A. Hiestand
- Narrated by: James Lyne
- Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One year ago, Marta Hughes won a purse-choking sum of money at a local casino. She never returned home. Her body was discovered in a ditch 12 miles from her home; her car was back in her driveway. Linnet Isherwood cannot let her friend's unsolved murder rest. She convinces ex-cop Michael McLaren to return to the work he loves. He sifts through a confusing web of lies, misconceptions, and veiled motives.
-
-
I’d Prefer Reading the Book to Listening to it
- By Emmy on 05-14-18
By: Jo A. Hiestand
-
A Slow Fire Burning
- A Novel
- By: Paula Hawkins
- Narrated by: Rosamund Pike
- Length: 9 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When a young man is found gruesomely murdered in a London houseboat, it triggers questions about three women who knew him. Laura is the troubled one-night-stand last seen in the victim’s home. Carla is his grief-stricken aunt, already mourning the recent death of yet another family member. And Miriam is the nosy neighbor clearly keeping secrets from the police. Three women with separate connections to the victim. Three women who are – for different reasons – simmering with resentment. Who are, whether they know it or not, burning to right the wrongs done to them.
-
-
This book should have a DISCLAIMER!
- By Amazon Customer on 09-06-21
By: Paula Hawkins
-
The Trap
- By: Catherine Ryan Howard
- Narrated by: John Keating, Alana Kerr Collins
- Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One year ago, Lucy’s sister, Nicki, left to meet friends at a pub in Dublin and never came home. The third Irish woman to vanish inexplicably in as many years, the agony of not knowing what happened that night has turned Lucy’s life into a waking nightmare. So, she’s going to take matters into her own hands. Angela works as a paper-pusher in the Missing Persons Unit, but wants nothing more than to be a fully fledged member of An Garda Síochána, the Irish police force. With the investigation into the missing women stalled, she begins pulling on a thread that could break the case wide open.
-
-
Not Her Best
- By Avid series reader on 08-05-23
-
The Crime of Miss Oyster Brown and Other Stories
- By: Peter Lovesey
- Narrated by: Simon Vance, Kate Reading, Marisa Calin, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is collection of 18 crime stories with a diverse range of characters and scenarios, from guilt-ridden fraudsters to lovesick murderers.
-
-
Perfect Fun!
- By Nat from LA on 09-04-20
By: Peter Lovesey
-
Under the Cold Bright Lights
- By: Garry Disher
- Narrated by: Douglas Hansell
- Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Detective Alan Auhl does things his own way - and gets results. He works cold cases now. Like the death of John Elphick - his daughters are still convinced he was murdered, the coroner not so sure. Or the skeleton that’s just been found under a concrete slab. Or the doctor who killed two wives and a girlfriend and left no evidence at all....
-
-
The unique main character
- By Sarah on 06-25-24
By: Garry Disher
-
Her Sister's Bones: An Absolutely Gripping Crime Thriller
- Detective Iris Locke, Book 1
- By: Geraldine Hogan
- Narrated by: Shelley Atkinson
- Length: 8 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Anna Crowe is killed in her sleep alongside her children, the quiet local community of Corbally is shocked. It’s also a chilling reminder of when her sister, Janey, disappeared as a baby, 29 years ago, never to be seen again. Detective Iris Locke is assigned to the case, and, after a year undercover which ended in failure when her cover got blown, she’s desperate to make her mark - and to live up to the reputation of her ex-cop father, the former head of the Limerick Murder Squad.
-
-
Amazing!
- By Ajax on 10-23-19
By: Geraldine Hogan
-
Cold Revenge
- The McLaren Mysteries, Book 1
- By: Jo A. Hiestand
- Narrated by: James Lyne
- Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One year ago, Marta Hughes won a purse-choking sum of money at a local casino. She never returned home. Her body was discovered in a ditch 12 miles from her home; her car was back in her driveway. Linnet Isherwood cannot let her friend's unsolved murder rest. She convinces ex-cop Michael McLaren to return to the work he loves. He sifts through a confusing web of lies, misconceptions, and veiled motives.
-
-
I’d Prefer Reading the Book to Listening to it
- By Emmy on 05-14-18
By: Jo A. Hiestand
-
A Slow Fire Burning
- A Novel
- By: Paula Hawkins
- Narrated by: Rosamund Pike
- Length: 9 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When a young man is found gruesomely murdered in a London houseboat, it triggers questions about three women who knew him. Laura is the troubled one-night-stand last seen in the victim’s home. Carla is his grief-stricken aunt, already mourning the recent death of yet another family member. And Miriam is the nosy neighbor clearly keeping secrets from the police. Three women with separate connections to the victim. Three women who are – for different reasons – simmering with resentment. Who are, whether they know it or not, burning to right the wrongs done to them.
-
-
This book should have a DISCLAIMER!
- By Amazon Customer on 09-06-21
By: Paula Hawkins
-
The Trap
- By: Catherine Ryan Howard
- Narrated by: John Keating, Alana Kerr Collins
- Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One year ago, Lucy’s sister, Nicki, left to meet friends at a pub in Dublin and never came home. The third Irish woman to vanish inexplicably in as many years, the agony of not knowing what happened that night has turned Lucy’s life into a waking nightmare. So, she’s going to take matters into her own hands. Angela works as a paper-pusher in the Missing Persons Unit, but wants nothing more than to be a fully fledged member of An Garda Síochána, the Irish police force. With the investigation into the missing women stalled, she begins pulling on a thread that could break the case wide open.
-
-
Not Her Best
- By Avid series reader on 08-05-23
-
The Crime of Miss Oyster Brown and Other Stories
- By: Peter Lovesey
- Narrated by: Simon Vance, Kate Reading, Marisa Calin, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is collection of 18 crime stories with a diverse range of characters and scenarios, from guilt-ridden fraudsters to lovesick murderers.
-
-
Perfect Fun!
- By Nat from LA on 09-04-20
By: Peter Lovesey
-
Under the Cold Bright Lights
- By: Garry Disher
- Narrated by: Douglas Hansell
- Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Detective Alan Auhl does things his own way - and gets results. He works cold cases now. Like the death of John Elphick - his daughters are still convinced he was murdered, the coroner not so sure. Or the skeleton that’s just been found under a concrete slab. Or the doctor who killed two wives and a girlfriend and left no evidence at all....
-
-
The unique main character
- By Sarah on 06-25-24
By: Garry Disher
-
Her Sister's Bones: An Absolutely Gripping Crime Thriller
- Detective Iris Locke, Book 1
- By: Geraldine Hogan
- Narrated by: Shelley Atkinson
- Length: 8 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Anna Crowe is killed in her sleep alongside her children, the quiet local community of Corbally is shocked. It’s also a chilling reminder of when her sister, Janey, disappeared as a baby, 29 years ago, never to be seen again. Detective Iris Locke is assigned to the case, and, after a year undercover which ended in failure when her cover got blown, she’s desperate to make her mark - and to live up to the reputation of her ex-cop father, the former head of the Limerick Murder Squad.
-
-
Amazing!
- By Ajax on 10-23-19
By: Geraldine Hogan
-
Pride, Prejudice, and Poison
- A Jane Austen Society Mystery, Book 1
- By: Elizabeth Blake
- Narrated by: Justine Eyre
- Length: 8 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Erin Coleridge's used bookstore in Kirkbymoorside, North Yorkshire, England, is a meeting place for the villagers and, in particular, for the local Jane Austen Society. At the Society's monthly meeting, matters come to a head between the old guard and its young turks. After the meeting breaks for tea, persuasion gives way to murder with extreme prejudice when president Sylvia Pemberthy falls dead to the floor. Poisoned? Presumably, but by whom? And was Sylvia the only target?
-
-
Where was the editor??
- By Kelly Garland on 05-04-21
By: Elizabeth Blake
-
We Know You Remember
- A Novel (The High Coast Series, Book 1)
- By: Tove Alsterdal
- Narrated by: Hillary Huber
- Length: 11 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s been more than 20 years since Olof Hagström left home. Returning to his family’s house, he knows instantly that something is amiss. The front door key, hidden under a familiar stone, is still there. Inside, there’s a panicked dog, a terrible stench, water pooling on the floor: The father Olaf has not seen or spoken to in decades is dead in the bathroom shower.
-
-
New author
- By Michael on 09-30-21
By: Tove Alsterdal
-
No Simple Death
- The Dublin Murder Mysteries, Book 1
- By: Valerie Keogh
- Narrated by: Stephen Daly
- Length: 9 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Detective Mike West is called to investigate a murder in a Dublin graveyard, suspicion immediately falls on a local woman, Edel Johnson, whose husband disappeared some months before. But then she disappears. Evidence leads West to a small village in Cornwall, but when he arrives, he finds Edel has got there before him. Her explanation seems to make sense, but as West begins to think his suspicions of her are unfounded, she disappears again. Is she guilty? West, fighting an unsuitable attraction, doesn't want to believe it.
-
-
Not Bad
- By Poppy115 on 11-12-23
By: Valerie Keogh
-
The Book Club
- By: C. J. Cooper
- Narrated by: Mary Woodvine
- Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Everyone is hiding a secret. One of them is murder. The book club was her idea, of course. It was her way into our group. A chance to get close. I knew from the day she arrived that she couldn't be trusted. And I was right. Alice didn't come to the village for peace and quiet. She came for revenge. A deliciously addictive psychological thriller about a book club that unravels dark and scandalous secrets between one circle of neighbours.
-
-
excellent read!!!
- By Jessica on 08-04-21
By: C. J. Cooper
-
Murder at the Lighthouse
- Exham on Sea Mysteries, Book 1
- By: Frances Evesham
- Narrated by: Jennifer M. Dixon
- Length: 4 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Everyone knows the dead woman under the lighthouse, but no one seems to know why she died. What brought the folk-rock star back to Exham on Sea after so many years? Who wanted her dead? Does the key to her murder lie in the town, or far away across the Atlantic? Libby Forest arrives in Exham to build a new life making cakes and chocolates, and discovers a talent for solving mysteries, helped by Bear, an enormous Carpathian sheepdog, and a cast of local characters.
-
-
Narrator Had A Cold The Whole Book
- By John on 03-05-18
By: Frances Evesham
-
Death at Hazel House: An Utterly Addictive Cozy Murder Mystery
- A Sukey Reynolds Mystery, Book 1
- By: Betty Rowlands
- Narrated by: Katie Villa
- Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Meet Sukey Reynolds: proud mother, wonderful cook...and police photographer turned amateur detective. Years ago, Sukey was hoping to become a detective, but life took a different turn. Now she’s happy to be involved with the local police force, as long as she still gets to work the occasional murder case....
-
-
Not a cozy mystery
- By Melissa on 07-12-21
By: Betty Rowlands
-
The School Friend
- A Totally Gripping Psychological Thriller with a Brilliant Twist
- By: Alison James
- Narrated by: Jan Cramer
- Length: 7 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
I’m Lucy, and I have a secret I have a beautiful home that I’m desperate to escape. But that’s not my secret. I tell my friends I’ve never wanted children when I always have. But that’s not my secret. My husband is a celebrated surgeon who tries to control me. But that’s not my secret. Adele knows. Once upon a time, I knew everything about her and she knew everything about me. Best friends forever. But now our secret is beginning to surface. I can trust her more than anyone. We made a pact. And she’s never do anything to hurt me. Would she?
-
-
Narrator wimpish voice irritating
- By Tanya H on 07-16-19
By: Alison James
-
The Garden Plot
- Potting Shed Mysteries, Book 1
- By: Marty Wingate
- Narrated by: Erin Bennett
- Length: 10 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Pru Parke always dreamed of living in England. And after the Dallas native follows an impulse and moves to London, she can't imagine ever leaving - though she has yet to find a plum position as a head gardener. Now, as the sublet on her flat nears its end, the threat of forced departure looms.
-
-
comfy and fluffy
- By MossyFernForest on 08-18-16
By: Marty Wingate
-
Death at a Country Mansion
- Daisy Thorne Mystery Series, Book 1
- By: Louise R. Innes
- Narrated by: Pearl Hewitt
- Length: 6 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
No one would ever accuse famous opera star Dame Serena Levante of lacking a flare for the dramatic. Unfortunately, it's curtains down on the dysfunctional diva when she's found dead at the bottom of a staircase in her elegant home. Solving an opera singer's murder may not be the typical hairdresser's aria of expertise. But Dame Serena was the mother of Daisy's best friend Floria, so Daisy must do-or-dye her best to get to the roots of the case.
-
-
Really good quaint story.
- By Amazon Customer on 02-27-21
By: Louise R. Innes
-
The Tenant
- By: Katrine Engberg
- Narrated by: Graeme Malcolm
- Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When a young woman is found brutally murdered in her own apartment with an intricate pattern of lines carved into her face, Copenhagen police detectives Jeppe Korner and Anette Werner are assigned to the case. Soon, they establish a link between the victim, Julie Stender, and her landlady, Esther de Laurenti, who’s a bit too fond of drink and the host of raucous dinner parties with her artist friends. Esther also turns out to be a budding novelist - and when Julie turns up as a murder victim in the unfinished mystery she’s writing, the link between fiction and real life grows.
-
-
THOROUGHLY enjoyed this!!!
- By Mary C. Garrison on 02-10-20
By: Katrine Engberg
-
To Tell You the Truth
- A Novel
- By: Gilly Macmillan
- Narrated by: Emma Fryer
- Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bestselling mystery writer Lucy Harper's talent for invention has given her fame, fortune, and an army of adoring readers. It has also saddled her with dependents, namely her fawning husband Dan. When Dan suddenly goes missing, his disappearance evokes dark memories that take Lucy back more than thirty years—to the day her brother vanished without a trace. That's when Lucy began conjuring stories. The police investigation revealed few confirmed details, so she created tales to fill in the gaps, to explain what happened that day her brother disappeared—and Lucy was the only witness.
-
-
Bravo! Best book this year!
- By Artsybiker on 09-25-20
By: Gilly Macmillan
-
Mud, Muck and Dead Things
- Campbell and Carter, Book 1
- By: Ann Granger
- Narrated by: Judith Boyd
- Length: 9 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When the body of a young woman is discovered in the cowshed of Cricket Farm, the tranquility of the British countryside is shattered. Inspector Jess Campbell is on the case, but with few leads, a grumbling partner, and the new superintendent Ian Carter piling on the pressure, she's beginning to wonder why she chose to be a detective in the first place.
-
-
Boring
- By Grammarian56 on 12-01-19
By: Ann Granger
Related to this topic
-
We Know You Remember
- A Novel (The High Coast Series, Book 1)
- By: Tove Alsterdal
- Narrated by: Hillary Huber
- Length: 11 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s been more than 20 years since Olof Hagström left home. Returning to his family’s house, he knows instantly that something is amiss. The front door key, hidden under a familiar stone, is still there. Inside, there’s a panicked dog, a terrible stench, water pooling on the floor: The father Olaf has not seen or spoken to in decades is dead in the bathroom shower.
-
-
New author
- By Michael on 09-30-21
By: Tove Alsterdal
-
A Slow Fire Burning
- A Novel
- By: Paula Hawkins
- Narrated by: Rosamund Pike
- Length: 9 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When a young man is found gruesomely murdered in a London houseboat, it triggers questions about three women who knew him. Laura is the troubled one-night-stand last seen in the victim’s home. Carla is his grief-stricken aunt, already mourning the recent death of yet another family member. And Miriam is the nosy neighbor clearly keeping secrets from the police. Three women with separate connections to the victim. Three women who are – for different reasons – simmering with resentment. Who are, whether they know it or not, burning to right the wrongs done to them.
-
-
This book should have a DISCLAIMER!
- By Amazon Customer on 09-06-21
By: Paula Hawkins
-
The Night Raven
- Crow Investigations, Book 1
- By: Sarah Painter
- Narrated by: Kate Rawson
- Length: 6 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Lydia has always known she has no power, especially next to her infamous and more-than-slightly dodgy family. Which is why she carved her own life as a private investigator far away from London. When a professional snafu forces her home, the head of the family calls in a favour, and Lydia finds herself investigating the disappearance of her cousin, Maddie.
-
-
Ask yourself
- By Ijw on 10-21-19
By: Sarah Painter
-
Presumed Guilty
- By: Tess Gerritsen
- Narrated by: Jennifer van Dyck
- Length: 7 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Miranda Wood thought she had seen the last of Richard Tremain, her rich and married ex-lover - until she discovered him stabbed to death in her bed...with her knife. With her world falling around her, Miranda is determined to clear her name and discover who killed Richard. But proving her innocence may become secondary to staying alive.
-
-
Disappointed
- By DesignerBee on 09-11-08
By: Tess Gerritsen
-
Dolphin Junction
- Stories
- By: Mick Herron
- Narrated by: David Thorpe, Emma Powell, Gerard Doyle, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Now, for the first time, Herron’s short fiction has been collected into one volume. In Dolphin Junction, devoted fans and future converts alike will find much to amuse, delight, and terrify them. Five stand-alone nerve-racking and thrilling crime fiction stories are complemented by four mystery stories featuring the Oxford wife-and-husband detective team of shrewd Zoë Boehm and hapless Joe Silvermann. The collection also includes a peek into the past of Jackson Lamb, irascible top agent at Slough House.
-
-
Wicked treats
- By A+A on 11-24-21
By: Mick Herron
-
Under the Cold Bright Lights
- By: Garry Disher
- Narrated by: Douglas Hansell
- Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Detective Alan Auhl does things his own way - and gets results. He works cold cases now. Like the death of John Elphick - his daughters are still convinced he was murdered, the coroner not so sure. Or the skeleton that’s just been found under a concrete slab. Or the doctor who killed two wives and a girlfriend and left no evidence at all....
-
-
The unique main character
- By Sarah on 06-25-24
By: Garry Disher
-
We Know You Remember
- A Novel (The High Coast Series, Book 1)
- By: Tove Alsterdal
- Narrated by: Hillary Huber
- Length: 11 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s been more than 20 years since Olof Hagström left home. Returning to his family’s house, he knows instantly that something is amiss. The front door key, hidden under a familiar stone, is still there. Inside, there’s a panicked dog, a terrible stench, water pooling on the floor: The father Olaf has not seen or spoken to in decades is dead in the bathroom shower.
-
-
New author
- By Michael on 09-30-21
By: Tove Alsterdal
-
A Slow Fire Burning
- A Novel
- By: Paula Hawkins
- Narrated by: Rosamund Pike
- Length: 9 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When a young man is found gruesomely murdered in a London houseboat, it triggers questions about three women who knew him. Laura is the troubled one-night-stand last seen in the victim’s home. Carla is his grief-stricken aunt, already mourning the recent death of yet another family member. And Miriam is the nosy neighbor clearly keeping secrets from the police. Three women with separate connections to the victim. Three women who are – for different reasons – simmering with resentment. Who are, whether they know it or not, burning to right the wrongs done to them.
-
-
This book should have a DISCLAIMER!
- By Amazon Customer on 09-06-21
By: Paula Hawkins
-
The Night Raven
- Crow Investigations, Book 1
- By: Sarah Painter
- Narrated by: Kate Rawson
- Length: 6 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Lydia has always known she has no power, especially next to her infamous and more-than-slightly dodgy family. Which is why she carved her own life as a private investigator far away from London. When a professional snafu forces her home, the head of the family calls in a favour, and Lydia finds herself investigating the disappearance of her cousin, Maddie.
-
-
Ask yourself
- By Ijw on 10-21-19
By: Sarah Painter
-
Presumed Guilty
- By: Tess Gerritsen
- Narrated by: Jennifer van Dyck
- Length: 7 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Miranda Wood thought she had seen the last of Richard Tremain, her rich and married ex-lover - until she discovered him stabbed to death in her bed...with her knife. With her world falling around her, Miranda is determined to clear her name and discover who killed Richard. But proving her innocence may become secondary to staying alive.
-
-
Disappointed
- By DesignerBee on 09-11-08
By: Tess Gerritsen
-
Dolphin Junction
- Stories
- By: Mick Herron
- Narrated by: David Thorpe, Emma Powell, Gerard Doyle, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Now, for the first time, Herron’s short fiction has been collected into one volume. In Dolphin Junction, devoted fans and future converts alike will find much to amuse, delight, and terrify them. Five stand-alone nerve-racking and thrilling crime fiction stories are complemented by four mystery stories featuring the Oxford wife-and-husband detective team of shrewd Zoë Boehm and hapless Joe Silvermann. The collection also includes a peek into the past of Jackson Lamb, irascible top agent at Slough House.
-
-
Wicked treats
- By A+A on 11-24-21
By: Mick Herron
-
Under the Cold Bright Lights
- By: Garry Disher
- Narrated by: Douglas Hansell
- Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Detective Alan Auhl does things his own way - and gets results. He works cold cases now. Like the death of John Elphick - his daughters are still convinced he was murdered, the coroner not so sure. Or the skeleton that’s just been found under a concrete slab. Or the doctor who killed two wives and a girlfriend and left no evidence at all....
-
-
The unique main character
- By Sarah on 06-25-24
By: Garry Disher
What listeners say about Shadow in the Smoke
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Hall Ways
- 03-09-20
Pull out your notebook and play detective
SHADOW IN THE SMOKE is the third book in The McLaren Mysteries by Jo A. Hiestand, and the first I’ve read, but it won’t be the last. It works perfectly well as a stand-alone book and I never felt lost or confused due to lack of backstory. The author gives readers enough to pique interest in learning more about ex-cop Michael McLaren, though. It seems there are juicy details to why he’s an ex-cop and not still in the force, and what’s the story with his girlfriend Dena? I’ll be adding the first two books to the ever-toppling TBR.
What becomes clear from the get-go is that Jo Hiestand excels at characterization, and with the apt narration of Steve Hart, I was already loathing a character within minutes of listening. OH! His condescension and patronization! Hiestand uses just the right words to describe scenes and people and evoke very specific responses from the reader. For those who are reading with their ears, the huge cast of characters and how they are related to one another can be confusing. New characters continue to be added up until very near the end of the book, and it seems everyone has a motive to murder. I recommend pulling out a notebook and playing detective yourself to keep track of who’s who.
SHADOW IN THE SMOKE is really a police procedural, and readers are right there beside McLaren as he gets information and puts the pieces together. It sometimes feels a bit too convenient that Michael has multiple connections at the police department who are willing to break the law in sharing classified information and documents. McLaren doesn’t hesitate to use it and even plays dirty with suspects as he tries to solve the case and protect himself as he becomes a target.
The story is heavy on dialogue, but it has some action that will pull readers out of rumination mode and into danger, right along with McLaren. And beneath all the sleuthing, there is also a sub-plot threading its way through the book that shows the sadness and loneliness of dementia. Having had a parent suffer through it, I found these scenes accurately heartbreaking, and the respect and tenderness shown by McLaren in dealing with Nora brought another dimension to his already complex character.
The story ties-up rather quickly, and admittedly, I was still scratching my head to figure out the convoluted known and unknown relationships between several characters. If I had the book in print, I would have probably pursued that so I could have it all straight -- especially because the final sentence only added more questions rather than providing a resolution to anything. Perhaps it tied up a loose thread, or perhaps it was a hint at things to come. Either way, I’m on board for more of Michael McLaren and this series.
ABOUT THE NARRATION: The setting of SHADOW IN THE SMOKE is a little wiggly for this Texas girl; I think it’s set in England but I didn’t take the time to use the Google and look-up any of the towns mentioned to verify it. Narrator Steve Hart seems to have an Australian accent in portraying Michael McLaren, which is fine with me because it is a delightful accent, but I am not sure it was accurate for the character. Overall, his pacing is consistent, and it was easy to follow along listening to the audio at regular speed. The exception is that there aren’t appropriate pauses for segues to scene changes, which sometimes caused confusion. Even so, I wouldn’t hesitate to listen to him narrate another story. He performs both male and female voices well, uses a nice technique for when the dialogue occurred via telephone call, and his diction is clear – even with the multiple accents and unknown towns, I didn’t have any trouble understanding him in any character voice. Well done.
Thank you to Audiobookworm promotions and the author for providing me an audio book code in exchange for my honest opinion – the only kind I give.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- DabOfDarkness
- 04-01-20
Fun! Works as a stand-alone mystery.
Note: Even though this is Book 3 in the series, it works just fine as a stand alone novel.
Former policeman Michael McLaren was fun to follow around for a spell. He’s a private detective now and his knowledge of criminal activity & police procedures in general comes in very useful for this latest case. Initially, he’s reluctant to take it on. Janet died in a fire 5 years ago. The case has been closed with no lingering questions. Yet her mother Nora insists there are things that don’t make sense. There’s more to this story. Nora feels she’s been ignored by the police and she’s willing to reach out to the private sector to get her answers.
McLaren starts digging into Janet’s life. She was a musician complete with a successful band as well as an owner and operator of catering business. So many partners that could potentially be suspects. McLaren, however, is still skeptical that it was anything more than an accidental death by smoke inhalation. Then someone gets sloppy or spooked as McLaren starts asking revealing questions.
Even though the center of this story works fine on it’s own, I do wonder about McLaren’s past. He’s got a new girlfriend in his life (Dena) and also there’s that beef with his old boss (Harvester). I want to know what brought him and Dena together. I’m also curious about the gritty details of him leaving the police force & what role his old boss played in that. I expect I will be exploring previous books in the series.
The story ramps up as someone gets a fire bug up their backside. Yes, setting small fires will get you noticed, but not for good reasons. McLaren puts the pressure on, digging even more into Janet’s life, like her finances. I liked how one clue after another was revealed. However, the end did feel rushed. All of a sudden, we have this big reveal and the bad guy gives an abrupt confession. There’s a few other small things that I needed just a little more to buy into, like Nora gifting a large item to McLaren. Also, I felt there were some few lingering questions left unanswered. However, over all, it was a fun entertaining tale. 4/5 stars.
The Narration: Steve Hart was good. He had a great voice for McLaren and his female character voices sounded feminine. I liked his cranky old man voice for Janet’s dad. Sometimes, his character voices blurred a bit making it tricky to keep track of which character was talking. This often happened for McLaren and Harvester. Sometimes Hart’s voice sounded too much like a news report instead of someone invested in the story. The pacing was good and there were no tech issues with the recording. 4/5 stars.
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Jo A. Hiestand. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- MeandtheMutts
- 03-27-20
Good story, but think I'd prefer to read it
3.5/5 stars (rounded up to 4)
For me, this was a slow-burn story with a main character - Michael McLaren - who, despite being an ex-cop seemed rather reluctant in his pursuance of this case, constantly telling everyone he didn't have a licence to investigate and was merely working on behalf of the victim's mother. His conversations with Jamie bore testament to this reluctance and his friend seemed to do much of the brain-work when it came to ruling suspects in or out. McLaren second-guessed himself a lot, to the point of wondering if he'd been right to take on the case after all. At one point, even Nora Ennis - the victim's mother, dementia sufferer, and the person who hired him - was a suspect. Nora was convinced her daughter's death five years ago was not an accident, and her annual trips to the police station for updates suggested no-one took her claim seriously. Hiring McLaren was her last chance to find the truth before dementia stole her memory of Janet completely. To be honest, I did sometimes wonder if Nora had made the right decision in hiring him, as though it were McLaren or nothing.
As the story progressed, McLaren developed an attachment to the dead woman, and became more determined to confirm whether her death was an accident or murder. His questioning of those closest to Janet revealed a never-ending stream of motives that required exploring, with many interesting twists. He was clearly getting closer to solving the mystery, and the arson attacks on his own home proved someone was riled by his investigations.
This story is the third in the McLaren Mystery series, and I did feel that I was missing some pertinent facts, especially regarding his relationship with Harvester. Therein lies another story, for sure.
The narration, for me, wasn't always clear, particularly when "Jamie" was talking to McLaren. I realise the narrator was probably simulating a phone conversation, but the result was scratchy, squeaky and often incomprehensible. I did have to backtrack several times, and even when concentrating I didn't always catch what was being said. Overall, I was surprised at how many reviewers reading the physical copy of the book found this to be a fast-paced story. For me it was a real slow-burn. Maybe that has something to do with an adaptation for audio, or the narrator's Australian accent, but fast-paced is not what I'd call it.
Overall, the mystery surrounding Janet Ennis's death is intriguing as it unravels, its impact on McLaren is just as fascinating.
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Jo A. Hiestand. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Teresa Noel
- 03-09-20
Pay attention
I am rating this book at 3 1/2 to 4 stars. I think this Audiobook would of been better with a different narrator. Not that Steve Hart was bad, for me at times he was a bit hard to understand though. The story was kind of slow getting started and at times kind of stalled but when it was moving along it was a good story. It is definitely a who done it mystery. It sounds like a cut and dry case of accidental death and even the Police ruled it as such, but the more Michael McLaren looks into the case the more it looks like murder, and wow at the number of suspects he finds.
The book starts out with Michael McLaren reluctantly meeting with Mrs. Ennis. She is positive her Daughter Janet was murdered 5 years. The police have ruled her death as accidental and refuse to reopen the case. Mrs. Ennis has dementia and wants nothing more than to prove her daughter's death was not accidental before her memory is gone. McLaren is her last resort.
McLaren is an Ex-Cop and who is not a licensed private but detective. Along with his friend Jamie they start looking into the case. It does seem like everyone and their brother, even Mrs. Ennis become suspects at some point. The book left me guessing all the way to the end, at times the amount of suspects was a bit over whelming even trying to keep all the information straight. I did back tracks few times. This is also one of those books for me I had to just set with and pay full attention too, if other things were going on around me I would get a little lost.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- N. N. Light
- 01-05-23
I enjoyed it immensely!
Summary –
Can McLaren capture a killer and arsonist, or will his life go up in smoke? Nora is convinced her daughter, Janet, was murdered before her home burned in a fire years ago. She pleads with retired police detective Michael McLaren to reopen the case. He agrees to check into things, not realizing what he’s gotten himself into. The more he finds out about the victim Janet, the more attached he becomes. His heart goes out to Nora as well because she’s fighting dementia. What he uncovers makes some people jittery, including an unseen murderer/arsonist. Putting his own safety aside, McLaren vows to extinguish the plans of the killer and arrest the perpetrator for murder. Who is the shadow in the smoke?
Narrator’s overall voice –
This is my first listening of Steve Hart’s narration and I have to admit I enjoyed it immensely. The British accents are spot on and enjoyable to the ear.
Does the narrator fit the characters?
Yes, Steve Hart fits the characters through careful inflection and understated elegance. He conveys Nora’s emotions with ease. I thought his interpretation of McLaren to be well done.
Narrator’s reading style –
The cadence of Steve Hart as he narrates is pleasing to the ear and allows the listener to dive into the mystery.
Narrator’s impact on reading experience –
I found him to have a lasting effect on my reading experience. While he is unpretentious and not flashy, it works for this mystery.
Narrator’s pacing –
Steve Hart’s pacing is even keeled with just the right amount of excitement in the right places. He takes this British mystery and gives it an almost cozy feel.
Audiobook flow –
The flow of this audiobook is what you would find in a classic mystery but with a modern twist.
What makes this audiobook unique –
I think Steve Hart’s narration blending with an exceptional mystery by Jo A. Hiestand makes this a unique listen. Not everyone in Britain speaks the same and this is made apparent in this audiobook.
Would I recommend this audiobook –
Yes, I would recommend this audiobook to all mystery readers.
My Rating: 5 stars
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!