The Art of Detection Audiobook By Laurie R. King cover art

The Art of Detection

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The Art of Detection

By: Laurie R. King
Narrated by: Alyssa Bresnahan, Robert Ian Mackenzie
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About this listen

New York Times best-selling author Laurie R. King captivates audiences with her irresistibly suspenseful novels. She has also won tremendous critical acclaim, earning Edgar, Creasey, Nero, and Macavity awards for her work. The Art of Detection is another spellbinding tale starring San Francisco homicide inspector Kate Martinelli. The victim is Sherlock Holmes aficionado Philip Gilbert, whose collection of priceless memorabilia is definitely worth killing for. It's up to Kate and her trusted partner Al Hawkin to follow the clues and bring a rather peculiar murderer to Justice.©2006 Laurie R. King (P)2006 Recorded Books, LLC Crime Detective Fiction Genre Fiction Mash-Ups Mystery Police Procedural Suspense Thriller & Suspense Traditional Detectives Women Sleuths Women's Fiction Sherlock Holmes Exciting Murder
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Critic reviews

"A tour de force and a great read." (Booklist)
"A fine, perceptive storyteller, King is particularly adroit at capturing the milieus in which her characters reside." (Publishers Weekly)

Clever Storytelling • Engaging Mystery • Excellent Narration • Detailed San Francisco Setting • Wry Humor Delivery
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This is the first Laurie King novel that I've read and it certainly won't be the last. And thank the goddess for the "pro-gay agenda" presented here. It was a refreshingly inclusive book. The story within a story aspect was quite well done. I am looking forward to reading more of her novels. Her characterization, humor and insight make the novel interesting and very believable. The mystery holds out until the very end unlike many current mystery novels.

Wonderful find

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Amen loved all the twists and turns and superimposed plot lines and characters! Would that I could read many more fashioned like this!

Wow! This is a wonderful intertwining of past and current and was enthralling!!!

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An inventive device of a story within a story defines "The Art of Detection". Enjoyable characters and a good narration make for a very entertaining murder mystery.

Story within a Story

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The Sherlock Holmes story inside the novel actually made it interesting. That part of the book is where Laurie R. King really shines. She truly understands how to create the perfect Holmes-style story. It was very believable, if easy to solve, and drew you into what was happening.

The overall detective story was okay, but this was a mindless listen for me. I've been through the entire novel and can't remember the main character's name. And figuring out the murderer was easy. As soon as the character was introduced, I thought, "It's him!"

Holmes Story Saves the Novel

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I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook, so much that I was sorry when it was over. I've read and listened to other books by Laurie King and knew I would enjoy it, but this one really stood out for me. Much of that was due to the narrator, who made the book come alive. The people in it stayed with me long after I finished listening.

Great narrator!

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This is a clever story with a very pro-homosexual agenda. Every character except one of the detectives is gay or lesbian. The main character, all of her friends, the victim, the suspect, and a forensic investigator are all homosexual. Even in the Sherlockian embedded story the victim, suspect, and friends are gay. I know the story takes place in San Francisco, but aren't there any straight people in central California?

pro-gay agenda

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I enjoyed this story, incorporating Laurie R. King's two series in a plausible way and yet not letting the Holmes aspect take over Martinelli's tale. The characters are well composed, with as much attention on the supporting cast as with the main characters.

The use of the two narrators to follow what are essentially two separate stories seemed a bit odd at first, but it made sense after the first few minutes (an audiobook within an audiobook, as it were). Alyssa Bresnahan's narration won me over from the start - she injects a dash of wry humour into her reading that gives life to the story. A highly enjoyable and intelligent story to listen to.

Great narration

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The characters, the plot, and the style are most enjoyable. I'm always surprised when I realise (again) that I've come to care about the Kate Martinelle and am touched by her feelings and conflicts.

Love this author

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I have enjoyed the Kate Martinelli series very much. This book, unfortunately, dedicated FULL chapters to a story within a story about a Sherlock Holmes manuscript. I hate Sherlock Holmes, always have. I was very sad to see so much of a good storyline wasted on something that is so far from its base.

Too much Sherlock Holmes

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I hate following a whole series and loving the characters and then BAM nosedive. the only saving grace that helped this was the very end, and it had no bearing on the case. if you've followed the series, do you remember how at the end of the last book, they were talking about going through artificial insemination? well, heck if there's not a 3 year old here now! and she's still mad at Roz. I'm glad the author writes about Sherlock Holmes but he didn't need to be brought into this story. he had his own almost 20 book series. the reading of the book in the middle-ish, I skipped. completely turned off. I know if you've read the series, you'll read this one, but these are my 2 cents. maybe listen to the first few hours and then skip to the last 2 chapters. you won't be missing much!

when something sweet turns sour

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