The Purples
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Narrated by:
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Chris Andrew Ciulla
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By:
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W. K. Berger
About this listen
Shunned by his community...locked up for trying to help an innocent girl...ambushed by rivals and left for dead in the Detroit River, Joe Bernstein has a few scores to settle, and a bold plan to seize control of the Motor City in its booming 1920s heyday. With his faithful "agent", Abie; his brilliant but fragile brother, Max; and an out-of-control enforcer named Grabowski (not to mention a couple of carnivorous creatures known as "the babies"), Bernstein gives rise to the infamous Purple Gang - so named by local merchants because the gang's members were said to be "tainted, like spoiled meat".
Bernstein's boys set their sights on taking over the Detroit River, the pipeline connecting dry America to wet Canada. But Joe also must contend with having "a sweetheart in the nut house" and rising tensions within his gang. Worst of all, the D.A.'s office has brought in an amputee war hero named Riley - who seems to be one step ahead of Joe's big plans....
A fast-paced thriller that builds to the climactic Collingwood Massacre (a seminal event that changed Detroit forever), The Purples blends richly detailed historical fiction with nonstop action, all narrated in the wry voice of the smart, self-deluding, and unforgettable Joe Bernstein.
©2010 W. K. Berger (P)2013 W. K. BergerListeners also enjoyed...
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If you've never read a Repairman Jack novel, this is the place to begin. It's 1990. A twenty-one-year-old named Jack has dropped out of college, leaving his old life behind to build a new one in New York City. Manhattan's rough edges are jagged enough to shred any unwary newcomer, but perhaps not one who is determined to stay off the grid, at any cost, in the busiest metropolis on earth. And to do so, he'll have to take jobs of a less than legal nature.
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Fun, as long you don't think too much
- By Andrew Pollack on 01-17-14
By: F. Paul Wilson
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Red Harvest
- By: Dashiell Hammett
- Narrated by: Richard Ferrone
- Length: 6 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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When the last honest citizen of Poisonville was murdered, the Continental Op stayed on to punish the guilty--even if that meant taking on an entire town. Red Harvest is more than a superb crime novel: it is a classic exploration of corruption and violence in the American grain. From the author of The Maltese Falcon.
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Great story, great narration, terrible reccording
- By yep on 08-21-14
By: Dashiell Hammett
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361
- A Hard Case Crime Novel
- By: Donald E. Westlake
- Narrated by: L. J. Ganser
- Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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The men in the tan-and-cream Chrysler came with guns blazing. When Ray Kelly woke up in the hospital, it was a month later, he was missing an eye, and his father was dead. Then things started to get bad. From the mind of the incomparable Donald E. Westlake comes a devastating story of betrayal and revenge, an exploration of the limits of family loyalty and how far a man will go when everything he loves is taken from him.
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Numbers mean violence
- By Ryan on 03-23-21
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Koko
- Blue Rose Trilogy, Book 1
- By: Peter Straub
- Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 22 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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KOKO. Only four men knew what it meant. Now they must stop it. They are Vietnam vets — a doctor, a lawyer, a working stiff, and a writer. Very different from each other, they are nonetheless linked by a shared history and a single shattering secret. Now, they have been reunited and are about to embark on a quest that will take them from Washington, D.C., to the graveyards and fleshpots of the Far East to the human jungle of New York.
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7 hours in and I am done
- By bionichands on 01-26-12
By: Peter Straub
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X
- A Novel
- By: Ilyasah Shabazz, Kekla Magoon
- Narrated by: Dion Graham, Ilyasah Shabazz
- Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Malcolm Little's parents have always told him that he can achieve anything, but from what he can tell, that's nothing but a pack of lies - after all, his father's been murdered, his mother's been taken away, and his dreams of becoming a lawyer have gotten him laughed out of school. There's no point in trying, he figures, and lured by the nightlife of Boston and New York, he escapes into a world of fancy suits, jazz, girls, and reefer.
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Very well written
- By jeff on 06-29-15
By: Ilyasah Shabazz, and others
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Burn
- By: Sean Doolittle
- Narrated by: Basil Sands
- Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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It's the middle of a sweltering late-summer heat wave in Los Angeles. In the nearby mountains, a seasonal wildfire burns out of control. If not for this fire, authorities might never have discovered wreckage of an Alfa Romeo convertible - or the body of the car's driver - in the dense underbrush at the bottom of Topanga Canyon. But when firefighters happen across the crash site while battling the nearby blaze, it's only a matter of time and basic forensics before the apparent accident is upgraded to homicide.
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Narrator
- By Coby on 06-16-21
By: Sean Doolittle
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Whiskey Sour
- Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels Mysteries, Book 1
- By: J. A. Konrath
- Narrated by: Susie Breck, Dick Hill
- Length: 6 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Lieutenant Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels is having a bad week. Her live-in boyfriend has left her for his personal trainer, chronic insomnia has caused her to max out her credit cards with late-night home shopping purchases, and a frightening killer who calls himself "The Gingerbread Man" is dumping mutilated bodies in her district.
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Like the book but GRAPHIC details
- By Kari on 10-31-09
By: J. A. Konrath
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How It Went Down
- By: Kekla Magoon
- Narrated by: Cherise Boothe, Shari Peele, Kevin R. Free, and others
- Length: 7 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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When 16-year-old Tariq Johnson dies from two gunshot wounds, his community is thrown into an uproar. Tariq was black. The shooter, Jack Franklin, is white. In the aftermath of Tariq's death, everyone has something to say, but no two accounts of the events line up. Day by day, new twists further obscure the truth. Tariq's friends, family, and community struggle to make sense of the tragedy, and to cope with the hole left behind when a life is cut short.
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gives perspective on race.
- By J. Carey on 08-17-17
By: Kekla Magoon
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Superheroes
- By: Peter S. Beagle, Daryl Gregory, James Patrick Kelly, and others
- Narrated by: Oliver Wyman, Joe Barrett, Christina Delaine, and others
- Length: 17 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Modern gods and goddesses, remote, revered - and like the pantheon of heroes and heroines of ancient myth - possessing great power tempered with flaws. Now, find within this anthology great tales by gifted and award-winning authors who move superheroes from the four-color panels of comic books to the fantastic pages of fiction, stories that will remind anyone who ever wanted to wear a cape or don a cowl of the extraordinary powers of the imagination!
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Pretentious tired old concepts
- By BookofJoy on 12-29-14
By: Peter S. Beagle, and others
What listeners say about The Purples
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Ryan
- 03-22-14
Don't Mess with Joe Bernstein!
What did you love best about The Purples?
The darkness of that time. I know this is a dramatization, but the brutality of that age...I identify with stories and movies like this.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Grabowski. Not the most likable guy, for obvious reasons. But he was fun to listen to, in his environment. Loved his names for his dogs, too. But I also liked Clark, the cop. He was a well-done foil.
What about Chris Andrew Ciulla’s performance did you like?
It was visceral. And it had a good amount of subdued energy. And was very consistent thru the whole story. Nice variation from the characters. Nice job.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
When Joe and Abie had their moment before... I don't want to give too much away, but it was sad to hear the team breaking apart.
Any additional comments?
Visceral, rough stuff. The way I like it.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Seamus Michael Ryan
- 04-03-14
Good Historical Fiction with Great Narration
What made the experience of listening to The Purples the most enjoyable?
The storyline was intricate enough to hold my interest, but not so much so as to be confusing (I'm looking at you, Jonathan Franzen), which made it an excellent choice for listening to in the car. Really, though, the narrator was great. His reading was rhythmic, melodious and pitch-perfect, and really seemed to capture the essence of what the author was trying to convey.
What other book might you compare The Purples to and why?
I suppose "The Purples" belongs in the same general category as the Elmore Leonard books or maybe Michael Chabon's "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay."
Have you listened to any of Chris Andrew Ciulla’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
I have not, but I will definitely look for more stuff that he's done. As I've noted, his narration was simply excellent.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
Detroit is a rough town, and always has been.
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2 people found this helpful
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- M
- 04-01-14
ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC STORY AND A+ NARRATION!!!!
What did you love best about The Purples?
This is my first narrated ebook that actually kept me interested. The story kept me wanting more and reminds me of Bordwalk Empire.
Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?
Yes! Definitely a thriller and lots of action to keep you wanting more.
Which scene was your favorite?
Chapter 19 - Very deep and many things come together.
Any additional comments?
Very happy with the overall experience and look forward to another!
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2 people found this helpful
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- Robert
- 04-21-14
Fantastic Book
Would you consider the audio edition of The Purples to be better than the print version?
Yes by far
Who was your favorite character and why?
The lead as he has an arrogance about him I just liked
Which character – as performed by Chris Andrew Ciulla – was your favorite?
Chris's voice was fantastic.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
The book was intriguing.
Any additional comments?
I could not stop listening, was very compelling.
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1 person found this helpful
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- david
- 03-16-14
Gritty story...entertaining listen...who knew?
Would you consider the audio edition of The Purples to be better than the print version?
Yes. The narrator did a great job with this period, being the 20's in Detroit. I really felt like I was there. And I'm new to Audible, but I'm a big audiobook fan, and I really like when the right narrator gets matched with the right material. That definitely happened with The Purples.
What did you like best about this story?
The way it shed light on a real part of history. A Jewish gang in Detroit? The fact that it existed is crazy enough, not to mention all the scary, gory stuff they actually did. I'm a student of history, so when I can be dramatized like this, it's really cool.
What does Chris Andrew Ciulla bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
He's a really good storyteller. I listened to another one of his audiobooks recently, Two Serpents Rise. I liked it a lot, and then I saw this one, and I realized it was a really different backdrop. But his characters were all very real, but really entertaining, and all had their own cool individual qualities. Some very scary ones, actually. He's really good with the darker stuff.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Sure, but I really enjoy listening while I drive, and it is 14 hrs long I think. And this read is pretty rough, so I'm sure it isn't for everybody. But I'm a big fan of the old gumshoe stuff, and of Dick Hill, and this reminded me a little of his grittier stuff.
Any additional comments?
It tells an interesting story about a hidden part of history. Some rights, a lot of wrongs. The author, WK Berger, really brings these characters and the story alive for you for sure.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Codger
- 12-05-14
Being from Detroit, I wanted to like it.
I identified more with the community that shunned the gang than I could with the lead characters. Trying to make antisocial behavior more palatable by casting Joe Bernstein as a Robin Hood belies the outright cruel violence that was used to gain vengance. The story of the Purple Gang was much more black and white - they were bad people that did terrible things for money and power. At that time, Detroit was the town where actually working hard could help you rise above poverty and injustice. Henry Ford was a businessman and anti-semite, but using him as the great villian is lazy and inane.
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1 person found this helpful