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The Blue Hour Audiobook
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(3.02) - 644 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Tim Hess is a semiretired veteran cop staring at a death sentence-his own. Detective Merci Rayborn, young enough to be his daughter, is brash, impatient, and not someone from whom Hess wants to be taking orders. He certainly isn’t planning on falling in love with her… Together they must track down a psychopathic killer who’s been abducting beautiful young women from the malls of Orange County. Dubbed the “Purse Snatcher” for the chilling way he brags about his shockingly distinctive crimes, he is one of T. Jefferson Parker’s most original creations. “Ingenious, intricate, complicated yet credible, a real page-turner. There are leaks, leads, false leads, and an express train of an ending. Within the crackling tale, a quieter current carries an unforeseen and ill-starred love affair. A man much praised doesn’t need more encomiums; T. Jefferson Parker deserves all he gets.” -Los Angeles Times. “One of Parker’s best-and that’s a major statement considering his track record.” -Chicago Tribune
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"The one thing Parker does, beyond writing a bang-up noir thriller, is do his homework on his backstory. Here Hess, a retired detective, is put back on the force partly as a favor so he can collect benefits while he goes through chemo for cancer, a situation Parker describes as well as he does a crime scene. Hess is teamed with Merci Rayburn, a young female detective who lacks many social skills, and the two of them are soon on the trail of a serial killer. This was the book that had me hooked on Parker. He writes of the humanity behind the gun with a perfect pitch of emotion and of Hess's illness as if he has gone through it himself. Wonderful!"
— Elaine (4 out of 5 stars)
The Blue Hour Listener Reviews
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" wow! Really interesting crime story but great main characters. The crime storyline carried me along but the characters themselves were stories almost on their own, and I really enjoy that. I've become a huge Michael Connolly fan and this reminded me a bit of his work. I'd definitely be looking into the next book in this series. The ending of this book brought a shocking character twist that makes me want to continue on, no matter what the next crime/suspense plot is. "
— Michelle, 1/12/2014 -
" This was a very fun police procedural. It managed the neat trick (SPOILER ALERT) of letting you get inside the mind of the killer and still have the identity of the killer be a surprise. Moreover the policework elements seemed realistic; I really like long books like this because there is enough time for the plot to be complicated, and the acts of detection--running down leads, check facts, looking for clues--are given the time and space to feel difficult. I intend to continue the Merci Rayborn, Tim Hess series. "
— Adam, 1/5/2014 -
" What a great story... what a disgusting ... I don't have words for that monster! And what a sad ending!!! Great read!!! "
— Sylvette, 12/28/2013 -
" Good read. I read the Kindle edition. "
— Richard, 12/27/2013 -
" pretty good quick read but i was kind of annoyed at the end "
— Elijoh, 12/27/2013 -
" I made it half-way through and then gave up. The characters were 2-dimensional, tension was built by flat expressions of rage, and the murders were almost gratuitously gruesome. Erk. "
— Sandy, 12/5/2013 -
" I could not get into this book at all!! "
— Michelle, 12/4/2013 -
" I started out not liking the main characters (Hess and Merci) but then got completely drawn in by them and ended up loving 'em. Very interesting crime/case, though the "solve" didn't totally make sense and seemed a bit unlikely. Great ending; always liked being surprised by an author's path! "
— Lisa, 10/31/2013 -
" I love cop stories and this is a good one :) "
— Mindy, 10/12/2013 -
" Another good read from a talented mystery writer. A bit grisly but with a page-turning intensity. If you like Michael Connelly, this is your guy. "
— Kay, 10/9/2013 -
" this book totally creeped me out- a serial killer is kidnapping women from mall parking lots and murdering them, leaving only their purses at the scene. first merci reybourne book- won't be the last i read. "
— Sherry, 5/6/2013 -
" Very long. Some of the best character development I have ever read. The characters are very real. "
— Joan, 12/31/2011 -
" I really like this author. This was one of his best. "
— Jon, 10/27/2011 -
" Very good. Reads faster on Kindle. "
— Julie, 10/2/2011 -
" First book I have read by this author and was not disappointed.....excellent writing and the characters drew you into their story....I will read more of the Merci Rayburn .... "
— Nelta, 9/15/2011 -
" Yes, the yuk factor is high, but the writing and story were well done. I'll be looking for another to aee what happens to Merci ... "
— Kristy, 7/7/2011 -
" Very suspenseful, will look for more from this author "
— Katie, 1/10/2011 -
" Meh, it was ok. Mercy is really NOT a likable character. Don't think I'll read the following two books in the series "
— Melani, 3/7/2010 -
" Enjoyed this book; reading more of his. "
— Joanne, 2/20/2010
About T. Jefferson Parker
T. Jefferson Parker is the author of numerous novels and short stories, the winner of three Edgar Awards, and the recipient of a Los Angeles Times Book Prize for best mystery. Before becoming a full-time novelist, he was an award-winning reporter.
About Tavia Gilbert
Tavia Gilbert is an acclaimed narrator of more than four hundred full-cast and multivoice audiobooks for virtually every publisher in the industry. Named the 2018 Voice of Choice by Booklist magazine, she is also winner of the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. She has earned numerous Earphones Awards, a Voice Arts Award, and a Listen-Up Award. Audible.com has named her a Genre-Defining Narrator: Master of Memoir. In addition to voice acting, she is an accomplished producer, singer, and theater actor. She is also a producer, singer, photographer, and a writer, as well as the cofounder of a feminist publishing company, Animal Mineral.