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Bear Is Broken Audiobook
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(3.00) - 117 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Everything seems backwards with this case: a lawyer falls victim to a crime, the police seem to be advocating for the wrong side of the law, and young attorney Leo Maxwell is forced to do an investigator’s job in pursuit of the man who tried to kill his brother.
Leo had been raised by his older brother, Teddy, a top criminal lawyer both renowned and notorious for his talent and ruthlessness. Though different in character and viewpoint, Leo always tried to emulate Teddy, striving to be recognized by his brother as a fellow lawyer in his own right.
The two are at lunch when Teddy, supposed to give the closing argument of his current trial that afternoon, is shot—in public, in the middle of the bar. But the shooter escapes without Leo catching even a glimpse of him. While Teddy lies in a coma, Leo searches for the shooter, soon realizing that the list of possible suspects is much larger than he could have possibly imagined.
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"Excellent effort- especially for a first time novelist. Likable, believable characters and a twisty-turny mystery. The set up in this first novel will play out nicely in what I can only presume will be a series. I do not understand the title - at all. Very fast, entertaining read."
— Maureen (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Smith establishes a commanding presence, a gift for complex plotting, and an ability to create richly drawn characters who draw the reader into the action from the opening scene.”
— Linda Fairstein, New York Times bestselling author of Terminal City -
“Bear Is Broken is an exciting read.”
— New York Journal of Books -
“Reminiscent in tone of early works by John Grisham and late ones concocted by Michael Connelly, Bear Is Broken reeks with the cynical authenticity of the games cops and lawyers play.”
— January Magazine -
“Smith’s powerful legal thriller debut, the first in a series, grabs the reader by the throat and doesn’t let go…Assured prose and taut plotting add up to a winner.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
“Smith’s first novel offers a superior blend of amateur-detective mystery and belated-coming-of-age novel cunningly masked as a legal thriller…Smith combines a smart but clueless protagonist forced to drop his naïveté; a gathering of well-drawn, equally motivated suspects; and, yes, some plot-furthering sex and violence. San Francisco’s gritty streets and neighboring redwood forests add to the appeal, and the addictive characters and the quirky, sideways look at the system close the deal on a terrific debut.”
— Booklist (starred review) -
“This engaging debut by a practicing Alabama attorney features well-drawn if somewhat unlikable characters and enough plot twists to please any mystery fan.”
— Library Journal -
“The suspects are familiar types…but newcomer Smith juggles them with supernal dexterity, and the final showdown is hair-raising. Sensitive, ingenious, and suspenseful. A series is promised and very welcome indeed.”
— Kirkus Reviews -
“This debut San Francisco noir is so atmospheric you can practically hear the cable cars and fog horns on the bay…R. C. Bray performs skillfully and serves the overcrowded plot well.”
— AudioFile
Awards
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Winner of the 2014 Shamus Award for Best First PI Novel
Bear Is Broken Listener Reviews
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" Never really got into the story, and didn't feel like I knew or cared about either brother. "
— Agnes, 2/15/2014 -
" Too slow developing, character development was not working for me. Might have to revisit it when less pressed for time. "
— Viccy, 2/7/2014 -
" Wow, another really worthwhile first time author. I needed a good mystery to get me back on track after the last couple of books I read. This is a fun "whodunit" with a couple of brothers and a fairly wild supporting cast. A little shorter than it could have been and a little light on some aspects of character and story development it was still a very fun read. "
— Don, 1/20/2014 -
" Good plot. Full of twists and great descriptions of the city of San Francisco. The writing is a little bit rough and the thread of the story seems to get lost in spots. Overall, not bad for a first book. Look forward to the author's next book. "
— Robert, 1/12/2014 -
" As I read a pre-publication review copy, my full review will be published elsewhere. This is an excellent novel filled with suspense. Definitely recommended. "
— Jenny, 1/12/2014 -
" This probably a better book that 3 stars: it had a lot of complexity and twists and turns, but I found all the characters pretty dismal creatures. It was absorbing but not super enjoyable to read "
— Lhenry, 1/10/2014 -
" I wonder why it;s called Bear is Broken.I wonder why I spent so much time reading it. "
— Gingerkat, 12/30/2013 -
" What I said: ""Lachlan Smith brings the culture of the courthouse and the complicated relationship between two brothers to life in this excellent debut." "
— Alafair, 12/23/2013 -
" A bit quirky but a hell of a good first effort. Fans of San Francisco should enjoy the locale. "
— Bonnie, 9/29/2013 -
" John Grisham-esque lawyer book. I was not taken by the main character. He was not sympathetic at all, but story was interesting. "
— Vickie, 8/28/2013 -
" Perhaps it was the timing following the Boston marathon bombings, but I couldn't get into this story full of unlikable characters. Even the 'good' brother has 'issues'. I didn't bother finishing it. "
— loretta, 7/2/2013 -
" Not much. Sorry I read it. Did not make a great deal of sense. Convoluted. Strange characters. "
— Al, 6/13/2013 -
" Looking forward to the rest of this series. "
— Denise, 4/10/2013 -
" I liked the main character OK, but thought the mystery itself was sloppy. "
— Heidi, 1/10/2013
About Lachlan Smith
Lachlan Smith was a Stegner Fellow at Stanford and received an MFA from Cornell. His fiction has appeared in the Best New American Voices series. In addition to writing novels, he is an attorney practicing in the area of civil rights and employment law.
About R. C. Bray
R. C. Bray is an award-winning audiobook narrator with over 180 titles to his credit. Besides winning five AudioFile Earphones Awards, he won the prestigious Audie Award in 2015 for Best Science Fiction Narration and has been an Audie Award finalist seven times. He has been a finalist for the Voice Arts Award, and in 2014, his narration earned a Publishers Weekly Listen-Up Award. He is also an accomplished producer and voice-over artist, and his voice can be heard in countless TV and radio commercials.