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The Amateurs Audiobook
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(3.05) - 314 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Alex is failing as a father. Ian keeps dangerous secrets. Jenn is pining for adventure; Mitch is pining for Jenn. Four friends just scraping by, finding comfort in each other and the hope that things will get better. But as their twenties fade in the rearview mirror, none of them are turning out to be who—or where—they hoped. In a time when CEOs steal millions while their employees watch savings dwindle, these four are tired of the honest approach. They’ve decided to stop waiting and start taking. But a supposedly victimless crime has become a bloody nightmare. People have been killed. Ruthless men pursue them. Tensions they thought were long-extinguished are flaring. As their world unravels, each will have to choose between their life and the lives of others. And for four people pushed to the ragged edge, the only thing more dangerous than the men chasing them might be their best friends.
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"Sakey has created a fascinating study of trust and integrity in this story of four friends who yearn for more. You know what's coming, you know these trains are going to crash, and you can't stop reading. And at the (satisfying) end, you can cheer that the friends came through despite the cost."
— Christiann (5 out of 5 stars)
The Amateurs Listener Reviews
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" Unpredictable crime fiction by a Chicago author. "
— Carol, 2/6/2014 -
" A really great book. Reviewed for Armchair Interviews. Will be published in August, 2009 "
— Patricia, 2/4/2014 -
" A lot of the books on my list are always out when I go to the library, so I picked this one up. It was okay. I almost shut it for good twice while reading it, but I persevered, and I give it a "Meh." The plot was not great, and it was easy to call the outcome before getting too far in. This was the first time I've read a thriller book where I've thought that I know more than the characters do about their situation. Easy read, served its purpose but not satisfying. "
— Tracy, 2/3/2014 -
" Love this author! Another example of folks making bad choices -- and bad things happen. "
— Modisettwilson, 1/28/2014 -
" OK so I DID NOT read all this one - there are just too many better books out there - got to about half way and decided this one could fall off my radar screen - no depth of meaning or character development or learning about something new - you get the drift. If I SHOULD have stuck with it someone let me know otherwise it gets a pass from me "
— Suevw, 1/17/2014 -
" Wow. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat! Sad ending, but realistic. "
— Regina, 1/6/2014 -
" Can't wait to read more by this author! "
— Jane, 1/6/2014 -
" Full-tilt pacing that runs recklessly towards the conclusion, and Sakey gets full points for not flinching from what is probably the only way his story could end. Which, of course, means that any future film version will be sure to be irredeemably lame due to rewrites. "
— Jessica, 12/31/2013 -
" Well-written. Intense take on how game theory plays out among friends and growing up. "
— Peggy, 12/28/2013 -
" Chicago setting. Great suspense. Characters you care about. "
— Barbara, 12/21/2013 -
" This was the first time I had read a crime novel in a long time. Now I remember why I don't read them often. It was alright, but I really didn't care about the characters by the end. Only one experience growth. As for the others, I wanted to tell them, "you made your bed, now sleep in it." "
— Jen, 11/22/2013 -
" Sakey keeps writing extraordinary books. The story itself is not among my favorite situations but is handled masterfully by MS. Very entertaining. "
— Huluriasquias, 11/21/2013 -
" Marcus does it again. "
— Sue, 6/25/2013 -
" I thought it was pretty good, definitely a page turner, but way more violent than I was expecting. The ending was also a little unsettling and not quite enough of a resolution for me - it almost felt like he was setting up a sequel, because you don't know what happens to one of the characters. "
— Laura, 10/4/2012 -
" My first time reading this author. I was really impressed and intend to read more of his. "
— Lynette, 5/2/2012 -
" Up to the very end I had hoped the main characters would die a horrible death. "
— Mainrun, 4/24/2012 -
" Outstanding; Four friends bored with their current jobs and lives, decide to pull off a heist, with no clue of the ramifications they put in motion by their actions as their simple plan quickly comes apart "
— Joe, 3/21/2012 -
" Sakey just keeps getting better! Four friends (the amateurs of the title) decide to rob a suspected drug dealer. The robbery spirals out of control with unexpected results! "
— Maryellen, 1/5/2012 -
" I wanted to like this, but in the end the characters were more stereotypical than fully fleshed plus it was condescending toward working class folks, implying their life had no meaning. It was alright but I can't rave. "
— Wende, 4/12/2011 -
" Thank God I'm finished with this book. Actually dreaded picking it up to read but was determined to finish it. Midway through the book, I didn't care who lived or died--just wanted it to be over. "
— Danon, 3/21/2011 -
" I thought it was pretty good, definitely a page turner, but way more violent than I was expecting. The ending was also a little unsettling and not quite enough of a resolution for me - it almost felt like he was setting up a sequel, because you don't know what happens to one of the characters. "
— Laura, 3/11/2011 -
" Easy read and I loved the Chicago connections. "
— Colleen, 3/7/2011 -
" Well-written. Intense take on how game theory plays out among friends and growing up. "
— Peggy, 2/6/2011 -
" Unpredictable crime fiction by a Chicago author. "
— Carol, 1/24/2011 -
" Marcus does it again. "
— Sue, 11/9/2009 -
" Rather chilling adventure of a group of life-watchers. "
— Veralene, 10/22/2009 -
" wow what a great book "
— Elisabeth, 10/15/2009 -
" Sakey just keeps getting better! Four friends (the amateurs of the title) decide to rob a suspected drug dealer. The robbery spirals out of control with unexpected results! "
— Maryellen, 10/4/2009
About Marcus Sakey
Marcus Sakey’s thrillers have been nominated for more than fifteen awards, named New York Times’ Editor’s Picks, and selected among Esquire’s Top Five Books of the Year. Marcus was also the host of the acclaimed television show Hidden City on the Travel Channel, for which he was routinely pepper-sprayed and attacked by dogs. Prior to writing, he worked as a landscaper, a theatrical carpenter, a 3-D animator, a woefully unprepared movie reviewer, a tutor, and a graphic designer who couldn’t draw. He lives in Chicago with his wife and daughter.
About Dan John Miller
Dan John Miller is an American actor and musician. In the Oscar-winning Walk the Line, he starred as Johnny Cash’s guitarist and best friend, Luther Perkins, and has also appeared in George Clooney’s Leatherheads and My One and Only, with Renée Zellweger. An award-winning audiobook narrator, he has garnered multiple Audie Award nominations, has twice been named a Best Voice by AudioFile magazine, and has received several AudioFile Earphones Awards and a Listen-Up Award from Publishers Weekly.