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Luther: The Calling Audiobook
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(4.00) - 578 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
A brilliant standalone crime novel and prequel to the acclaimed BBC series by the show’s creator and sole writer: “Luther is to crime fiction what his historical counterpart was to religion.…Gripping, taut fiction by a new master in the genre” (Guillermo del Toro).
Meet Detective Chief Inspector John Luther. He’s a murder detective with an extraordinary case clearance rate. He’s obsessive, instinctive, and intense. Nobody who ever stood at his side has a bad word to say about him. And yet there are rumors that Luther is bad—not corrupt, not on the take, but tormented. He seethes with a hidden fury that at times he can barely control. Sometimes it sends him to the brink of madness, making him do things he shouldn’t—things well beyond the limits of the law.
Edgar Award-winning writer Neil Cross has created one of the most compelling characters in modern crime fiction—a man who may be a force for good, or hell-bent on self-destruction. For fans of the award-winning series starring Emmy-nominee Idris Elba, and for all lovers of crime fiction, Luther is hailed by The Guardian as “Britain’s own Stephen King.”
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"Anything to do with Idris Elba I love so unsurprisingly a book about his best acting performance to date got me gripped. I think it's brilliant that Neil Cross having created this character has decided to keep him alive in book form (it certainly seems the TV series is over). I've never read a book quite like this before, as an avid viewer of Luther all the characters in this book are firmly cemented in my head, I know what they look and sound like, it's a bit like reading a book after you've seen the film I suppose but it took nothing away from the story for me at all, I found Cross's sparse character descriptions almost refreshing. I think the decision to start the book series with the case that ended just as the TV series began was a clever one. New readers of Luther will pick up key facts/relationships while long time viewers find something new. I'm not a fan normally of this genre it is deeply deeply nasty and left me feeling chilled right to the bone but I think providing that Cross turns out more than books we've already watched on the TV of cases Luther's already solved I think I might jusy buy and read the rest."
— Suzi (5 out of 5 stars)
Luther Listener Reviews
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" I knew the storyline and characterizations in this would be amazing because of how developed the plots and characters are on the show, but I didn't expect how beautiful the writing was going to be. Outstanding visuals and insight, riveting read, and a much much better thriller novel than Gone Girl. "
— Suicide, 2/16/2014 -
" Not for the faint hearted. Very gruesome and quite disturbing, but a great crime thriller. Well worth a read. "
— Christine, 2/13/2014 -
" Wonderfully written. A dark, intelligent thriller. "
— Reina, 2/6/2014 -
" Even better than the TV show. I loved this book . Brilliantly written and gruesome in parts. The characters are so well captured. Can't wait to read more from Neil Cross "
— Carol-anne, 2/4/2014 -
" Highly recommended for fans of the BBC program - A deeply engrossing story that reads like a full season of the show. Cross name checks the actors in his afterword, crediting them for their influence on the characters, an influence that really comes through in his prose. "
— Tim, 1/28/2014 -
" a completely satisfying mystery/crime book. not always easy to read because of the nature of the crimes, but the story is well written and i'm definitely looking forward to the series to come. "
— Monique, 1/19/2014 -
" I read this book only because I was quite a fan of the BBC series 'Luther', which was created and written by this same author. It was informative to read the book and discover where some of the mannerisms and darkness of the main character came from. But I will give a warning that the writing is at times violent, almost to a point of overdone. The story lines are great, the underlying characters are well described and the marital woes of Luther and his wife are too believable. I understand there will be more books to follow, so naturally I will read those also. "
— Su, 1/18/2014 -
" A great prequel to the Luther Tv series that leaves you where Series One starts. A book full of familiar characters so easy to get into and read. Brilliant "
— Barry, 12/30/2013 -
" The writing from the show translates well to the page. but there should be a clear warning that multiple dogs are hurt in the course of the story. Not for the faint of heart. Plus the timeline ties in with the show so any future books will be set after the end of season 2? "
— Coki, 12/28/2013 -
" As usual an interesting handling of a mystery plot. Beware you may find some portions bit off putting because grisly. Tortured detective is in dark Swedish genre. "
— Jakenv, 12/28/2013 -
" An absolute page turner, a really thrilling book. The reason I've given it three stars was the subject matter was a bit dark for me. Don't get me wrong I can "do dark" but this just went a bit too far for me to really appreciate it. "
— Allison, 10/30/2013 -
" Fans of Luther - the BBC series - this is a must read! See how Luther begins. "
— Kathy, 9/27/2013 -
" Great read. I love the BBC series so it was good to find out the background story which is at the start of the series. Love the Luther character because he is totally real and complex, he does what we all would like to do to evil people!!! "
— Brenda, 8/6/2013 -
" Loved the TV series. Loved the book. "
— Jan, 3/21/2013 -
" Necessary reading for any fan of the tv series. Cross captures the grittiness of the show and translates it well to the page. Great read. "
— Danny, 11/28/2012 -
" If you're a Luther fan who needs a fix during the (long) wait for Season 3 (I am), this works. I wouldn't give it to anyone who hasn't watched the show, though. "
— Lisa, 11/21/2012 -
" I'm in love with Idris Elba so reading a Luther book was a no-brainer. Very fun! "
— Lavagirl, 11/20/2012
About Neil Cross
Neil Cross is the author of several
novels, including Burial, Christendom, Mr. In-Between, Holloway Falls, and Always the Sun, which was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. He
is the lead writer for the BBC’s hit series Spooks,
known as MI-5 on BBC America, and the
creator of the BBC crime series Luther.
He lives in New Zealand with his wife and children.