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Mission Flats: A Novel Audiobook
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(3.01) - 854 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
From the New York Times bestselling author of Defending Jacob Former D.A. William Landay explodes onto the suspense scene with an electrifying novel about the true price of crime and the hidden corners of the criminal justice system. Only an insider could so vividly capture Boston’s gritty underworld of cops and criminals. And only a natural storyteller could weave this mesmerizing tale of murder and memory, a story about the hold of time past over time present–and the story of one unforgettable young policeman who ventures into the most dangerous place of all. By a gleaming lake in the forests of western Maine, outside a sleepy town called Versailles, the body of a man lies sprawled in a deserted cabin. The dead man was an elite D.A. from Boston, and his beat was that city’s toughest neighborhood: Mission Flats. Now, for small-town police chief Ben Truman, investigating the murder will mean leaving his quiet, haunted home and journeying to an alien world of hard streets and hard bargains, where the fierce struggle between police and criminals is fought for the ultimate stakes. Ben joins a manhunt through Mission Flats, where cops are scrambling to find their number-one suspect: Harold Braxton, a ruthless predator targeted for prosecution by the murdered D.A. To the Boston police, Braxton is a marked man. But as Ben watches the shadow dance of cops and suspects, he begins to voice doubts about Braxton’s guilt…especially when he uncovers a secret history of murder and retribution stretching back twenty years…back to a brutal killing now nearly forgotten. As past and present collide and a bloody mystery unfolds, only one thing remains certain: the most powerful revelations are yet to come. Mission Flats is at once a relentless page-turning mystery and a vivid portrait of a cop’ s life. Here are the street corners, courtrooms, and stationhouses; the deal makers, thugs, and quiet heroes. An unforgettable world–and the luminous, boundary-breaking debut of a new voice in suspense fiction–Mission Flats will haunt you long after the final pages.
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"After reading "Defending Jacob," I decided to give this one a try. I've been listening to it in the car on the way to and from work for the last couple of weeks. This one is ideal for listening that way. The reader is very good, the chapters are pretty short and discrete, and the characters are quite vividly drawn. I really don't read these things that often (although I feel like I keep saying that lately), but this has been quite enjoyable. "Defending Jacob" is more gripping, but this one is more fun. Bith have "surprise endings," although this ending was not really so surprising after all."
— Roy (4 out of 5 stars)
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“Tough but true: a first-time novelist has to bring something new to the table—something like the trumps that William Landay throws down in his high-stakes police procedural, Mission Flats…Landay writes with eloquent intensity…about the no-win ethical choices that can corrupt or otherwise crush a good cop.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“You’ll get everything you paid for in William Landay’s debut thriller, Mission Flats…Landay is a superb writer who can evoke visceral emotional reactions with skillful evocative prose.”
— St. Petersburg Times -
“Landay’s story is rife with nuanced characters and the gritty realism of street justice. His tale is reminiscent of his fellow Beantown writer Dennis Lehane, which is a true compliment.”
— Rocky Mountain News -
“A crackling debut that answers the question: Who will be the new Grisham?…Stylish writing, wickedly convoluted plotting, and an insider’s view…You’ll barely finish this many-tentacled tale before you start clamoring for former ADA Landay’s next.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review) -
“Every assumption the reader makes turns into a landmine, which makes for an excruciatingly suspenseful thriller…[Author] Landay gives us an original detective creation in the humorous, self-deprecating Truman, and he also delivers an action-packed plot with a skillfully detonated final surprise.”
— Booklist (starred review) -
“[An] inventive, gripping, suspense debut…Landay deals out pertinent details with the finesse of a poker player…A rich, harrowing, and delightful read.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
“Lyrical, keenly observed, and occasionally as dark as a wrong turn at midnight, Mission Flats is a harrowing, memorable debut by a writer to watch.”
— Stephen White, New York Times bestselling author -
“Mission Flatsis a stunning debut, heralding the arrival of a major new voice in mystery fiction. Landay’s action scenes are electric, his prose crisp, his characters unforgettable. Read this book. You’ll be getting in on the ground floor of something big.”
— Rick Riordan, Edgar Award-winning author of Cold Springs -
“Mission Flats has action, excellent surprises, and a powerful ending, but it also has strong, well-written characters. William Landay’s debut novel is a cut above and I’m looking forward to his next book.”
— Phillip Margolin, New York Times bestselling author
Awards
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A 2004 Barry Award Finalist for Best First Novel
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Winner of the 2003 CWA New Blood Dagger for Best First Book
Mission Flats Listener Reviews
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" This book, like Landay's "Defending Jacob" is a real page turner full of unexpected twists, but it isn't nearly as strong a novel as "Defending Jacob" is because there are just a few too many twists for the book to come together as neatly as it might or proceed as smoothly as it could. Both novels require the reader to accept a bit of the unlikely for the sake of novel's game, but in this one, I felt as if I was being asked to go too far in suspending my skepticism: there was just too much of the unlikely for me to accept. But I did enjoy the book as a casual read. "
— Lucinda, 2/20/2014 -
" I liked it, but not quite as much as Defending Jacob. "
— Jody, 2/19/2014 -
" It was good, but you can't compare it to his latest. "
— Janice, 2/19/2014 -
" I was disappointed. After reading Defending Jacob, I suppose it could only head downhill. "
— Irene, 1/26/2014 -
" Good quick read. Nice twists and turns at the end. "
— Lizabeth, 1/18/2014 -
" could not get into this read "
— Weaver, 1/12/2014 -
" One of the better first novels I've read. He's not yet in the class with Connelly, but he's definitely getting there. "
— Pamela, 11/30/2013 -
" All in all a pretty good novel. A little confusing at times, but I couldn't even come close to guessing the ending until it arrived. "
— James, 11/26/2013 -
" I read this book soon after Defending Jacob, Landay's most recent novel. I found the first two-thirds of the book to be so-so reading, but the last third was compelling reading. I guess surprise endings must be one of his hooks since both books had one. "
— Cynburjon, 11/11/2013 -
" Not as good as Defending Jacob but a worthwhile read. He improves as he writes. "
— Peacejanz, 3/6/2013 -
" I enjoyed Defending Jacob so much that I tried an earlier book by the same author. This was more of a police/ corruption tale and had a bit of an outlandish ending, but it was a good read that held my interest. It's cheap on Kindle too. "
— Erin, 1/12/2013 -
" Read on Amazon recommendation. Just ok. "
— Heidi, 11/29/2012 -
" So far, William Landay has been a mixed bag. I enjoyed Defending Jacob, and this one kept me up till 4am. But The Strangler was a real doozie. Hope he writes a few more so I can reach a verdict! "
— JRK, 1/31/2012 -
" I really enjoy this author so far. This is his first. I liked Defending Jacob better, but this one is a fun read with interesting twists and turns. "
— Jayne, 10/29/2011 -
" Good Book with a good twist at the end! "
— Julia, 10/8/2011 -
" I would give this 3 1/2 if that was an option. I didn't think the characters were as developed as Defending Jacob but the story was very good and kept me guessing to the end. "
— Holly, 5/14/2011 -
" Small town cop from Maine goes to Boston to help solve a crime. I really liked it but had mixed feelings about the ending. Someone commits another crime to save someone else. I'm not so sure that's okay??? But it did make a compelling read with a twisted plot. "
— Martha, 1/29/2011
About William Landay
William Landay is the author of The Strangler, a Los Angeles Times Favorite Crime Book of the Year, and Mission Flats, winner of the Creasey Memorial Dagger Award for Best First Crime Novel and a Barry Award nominee. A former district attorney who holds degrees from Yale and Boston College of Law, he lives in Boston.
About William Dufris
William Dufris attended the University of Southern Maine in Portland-Gorham before pursuing a career in voice work in London and then the United States. He has won more than twenty AudioFile Earphones Awards, was voted one of the Best Voices at the End of the Century by AudioFile magazine, and won the prestigious Audie Award in 2012 for best nonfiction narration. He lives with his family in Maine.