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Crashed: A Junior Bender Mystery Audiobook
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(4.03) - 176 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Introducing Junior Bender, the favorite burglar turned private investigator of Hollywood crooks
Junior Bender is a Los Angeles burglar with a magic touch. Since he first started breaking into houses at age fourteen, he's never once been caught. But now, after twenty-two years building an exemplary career, Junior has been blackmailed by Trey Annunziato, one of the most powerful crime bosses in LA, into acting as a private investigator on the set of Trey's porn venture, which someone keeps sabotaging. The star Trey has lined up to do all that's unwholesome on camera is Thistle Downing, America's beloved child star, who now lives alone in a drug-induced stupor, destitute and uninsurable. Her starring role will be the scandalous fall-from-grace gossip of rubberneckers across the country. No wonder Trey needs help keeping the production on track.
Junior knows what he should do—but doing the right thing will land him on the wrong side of LA's scariest mob boss. With the help of his precocious twelve-year-old daughter, Rina, and his criminal sidekick, ex-getaway driver Louie the Lost, Junior will have to pull off a miracle to get out of this mess.
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"Crashed was the first book I put on my Kindle when It came for Christmas last year. This book was poignant, rib achingly funny and very poignant. Junior Bender is the prototypical burglar with a heart; and Hallinan with his particularly wonderful use of language makes us care very deeply for someone who turns out not to be so evil after all. Hallinan's humor makes mincemeat out of danger, and miraculously saves the day. This book was very different from Hallinan's Poke Rafferty series or his older Simeon Grist series. Some things remains constant- we are pulled into the story, we care about the characters-deeply, and again Hallinan's use of language is simply hard to beat. Yes, I am a fan"
— Lil (5 out of 5 stars)
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“Timothy Hallinan’s affable antihero, an accomplished thief but inept sleuth named Junior Bender, makes a terrific first impression in Crashed…Bender’s quick wit and smart mouth make him a boon companion on this oddball adventure.”
— New York Times -
“If you’re looking for a mystery with a fresh new hero then you’ll want to run right out and get this book. It’s just fabulous.”
— NPR -
“Today’s Los Angeles as Raymond Chandler might have written it.”
— Bruce DeSilva, Associated Press, Top 10 Best Crime Novels of 2012 -
“Crashed is funny, thrilling, and even sad—a great beginning for a great new series. Timothy Hallinan is one of my favorite writers, and this is Hallinan at the top of his game. It’s laugh-out-loud funny without ever losing any of its mystery. It’s a whole new style and I love it. Junior Bender—a crook with a heart of gold—is one of Hallinan’s most appealing heroes, rich with invention and brimming with classic wit. I can’t recommend it highly enough.”
— Shadoe Stevens, Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson -
“A fresh turn on Raymond Chandler…In Crashed, Hallinan’s fabulously convoluted, wise-guy detective potboiler featuring Bender, the California author’s voice—intelligent, sarcastic, profane, but never coarse, unfailingly honest—is like a fast ride over a potholed road in a vintage Cadillac.”
— San Antonio Express-News -
“Hallinan paints a vivid picture of the many flamboyant characters of Hollywood’s back lots—from thieves to gangsters to shady movie directors and producers…Give credit to Peter Berkrot for striking a hilariously sarcastic tone to portray the infamous thief Junior Bender and his assignment to make sure a former child television star that all of America has fallen in love with finishes her next film…Berkrot’s performance is full of humor and heart as the film and its star are sabotaged on many fronts. This is the first in the Junior Bender series. Let’s hope the team of Hallinan and Berkrot comes around again.”
— AudioFile -
“The story is well designed and well told, and the dialogue sparkles. In a genre perhaps slightly overstuffed with crook-heroes, the book is like a breath of fresh air.”
— Booklist -
“Tim Hallinan has done it again. He’s created a must-read series that you will find hard to put down! Junior Bender is all you could ever want in a hero-thief: smart and funny, with a penchant for finding himself in situations he’d much rather avoid. Do not miss any of these books. A must-read in my house.”
— Brett Battles, author of the award-winning Jonathan Quinn series -
“Hallinan is one of the master storytellers of our generation. Crashed is pure rapture.”
— C. J. West, author of The End of Marking Time
Crashed Listener Reviews
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brenda leger, 10/16/2020
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" I am always in search of a new series to get into, and I was so pleased with this book. Junior Bender immediately feels like a new best friend and Timothy Hallinan does an excellent job of developing the characters. Peter Berkrot is amazing at bringing Junior to life, I couldn't consider a better match in narration. I cannot wait to see where the next book takes us! "
— Hilliary , 11/25/2016 -
" I thoroughly enjoyed this ebook by Timothy Hallinan. Junior Bender is a thief. He's also the hero protagonist of this book, the start of a new series. I laughed & laughed. Hallinan can make you smile & laugh while still treating you to a serious look at gangs, the TV and movie business, and drug abuse. Murder happens on Junior's watch. Since he's working under duress, he's not happy about it. Please take time to read this book. "
— Jody, 2/14/2014 -
" This was just nothing but fun. Junior Bender is a hoot. The story is mostly rock solid with an occaisonal stupid twist or turn. But the pace is terrific, Junior is great, and it is a fun ride all the way to the end. I look forward to another of these. "
— Don, 2/10/2014 -
" This is the first book I've read by Timothy Hallinan. Now, I can't wait to read another. The characters were well written and I can't wait to see what Junior will get into next. "
— Paige, 2/8/2014 -
" Junior Bender, although a burglar, is a good guy and one I want to visit with again. "
— Janet, 2/7/2014 -
" Very enjoyable quick read. No sex, little violence and an immensely likeable character. Junior Bender, burglar, is blackmailed into taking a job he doesn't want. He is being forced to get a former child TV star to act in a porno film. It hangs together well and is the first of 3 in the series. "
— Alan, 1/20/2014 -
" I like books where the main character is a smart-ass crook. "
— Scottlmoritz, 1/5/2014 -
" Outstanding start to a new seriesl I couldn't put it down because I loved the take on justice from this crook. Hallinan made Junior someone I'd want to hang out with. "
— Tammy, 1/2/2014 -
" Carl Hiaasen meets Elmore Leonard's GET SHORTY but written with that signature Hallinan charm and slapstick humor. Love these books. "
— Paul, 12/9/2013 -
" A great new series in the making. Junior Bender, brilliant, is a burglar by trade and not afraid to admit it. His sideline is that he is capable of "fixing" a lot of things that have gone wrong. Looking forward to another Junior installment. "
— Linda, 11/28/2013 -
" I loved his Poke Rafferty Bangkok series. This first book of his Junior Bender series was highly entertaining and often very funny, if you don't mind rooting for a professional crook! "
— Sandy, 11/22/2013 -
" This book was really interesting, fast paced. I enjoy books where the "bad guys" are the "good guys". The back story was excellent, and it all worked out in the end, which is nice. Wasn't a book you figured out the ending, which I enjoy as well. "
— Christine, 10/11/2013 -
" Just about every character a crook - even the hero. Quick witted, fast paced. Gotta love it! "
— Terry, 9/24/2013 -
" Witty, with an immensely likeable protagonist, this fun book never sacrifices story or pacing for a laugh. I can't wait to read the next one. "
— Julia, 8/24/2013 -
" Very good. My first Hallinan book and it will not be the last. If I had one complaint, I thought it was a bit long at times. Great story, great characters, and will be picking up the next book in the series. Recommended "
— Brandon, 8/3/2013 -
" I love snarky characters "
— Tanya, 6/10/2013 -
" A fast fun read with interesting characters and a well-plotted story line. I'll be reading the next book in this series. "
— Elaine, 5/16/2013 -
" Junior Bender is a little like Bernie Rhodenbarr - even if not qiote so funny -and that's a very good thing. "
— Lynn, 12/8/2012
About Timothy Hallinan
Timothy Hallinan is the Edgar and Macavity Award–nominated author of over a dozen widely praised books, including the Poke Rafferty Bangkok thrillers and the Junior Bender series. In 2010 he conceived and edited an e-book of original short stories by twenty mystery writers, Shaken: Stories for Japan, with 100 percent of the proceeds going to Japanese disaster relief.
About Peter Berkrot
Peter Berkrot, winner of Audie and Earphones Awards for narration, is a stage, screen, and television actor and acting coach. He has narrated over 450 works that span a range of genres, including fiction, nonfiction, thriller, and children’s titles. His audiobook credits include works of Alan Glynn, Eric Van Lustbader, Nora Roberts and Dean Koontz. In film and television, he appeared in Caddyshack, America’s Most Wanted, and Unsolved Mysteries. He performs in regional and New York theaters and directs the New Voices acting school.