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The Death and Life of Bobby Z (Abridged) Audiobook
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(3.03) - 850 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
When Tim Kearney draws a license plate across the throat of a Hell's Angel, he's pretty much a dead man. It's his third crime and, according to California law, that gives him "life without the possibility of parole." Killing a Hell's Angel also makes him a dead man on any prison yard in California. That's when the DEA makes Kearney an offer: impersonate the late, legendary dope smuggler Bobby Z so that the agency can trade him to Don Huertero -- northern Mexico's drug kingpin -- for a captured DEA agent. Tim Kearney bears an uncanny resemblance to Bobby Z, and, with some training, he might be able to pass. Or not. But, really, what choice does he have? So, he's off to a compound in the middle of a desert that's been designed by Huertero's number-two man to look like the Arab fort in his favorite movie, Beau Jeste ("The Santa Fe thing had been done to death.") Kearney's surprised when he meets Bobby Z's old flame, Elizabeth, who was never mentioned in his training, and her son, who she claims belongs to him. It's a short vacation by the pool before Kearney's on the run from drug lords, bikers, Indians, and cops ... and the kid's along for the ride. Some of the pursuers want Bobby Z, and some want the considerably less legendary Tim K. Whether he pulls it off, whether he can keep the kid and the girl and his life, makes for a hilarious, fast-paced, and truly touching audio.
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"Tim Kearney is a three time loser looking at the prospect of life in the California prison system or a shank in the back when a bright spark at the DEA realizes that he looks an awful lot like the recently deceased enigmatic drug kingpin called Bobby Z. The feds make a deal, they will release Kearney and then trade him in the guise of Bobby Z. to Mexican drug lords who don't know the truth about the real Z. If all this sounds a little too preposterous to make a good story, it gets even wilder when Tim breaks out of the drug lords lair with a young child in tow and sets up the most unlikely buddy story in a long time. Blasting through the southwest with guns blazing to keep himself and the kid alive, Tim realizes that the only way he can survive is to become Bobby Z. for real, which is when things turn really nasty. Reading Winslow is a blast, he writes with a wry, adrenaline fueled sensibility that keeps the story moving briskly. Filled with dry humor, along with fascinating characters, this is perfect beach reading for crime fans."
— Tim (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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Packs the wallop of a semiautomatic weapon.
— Newsday“Fast-paced . . . full of explosive action and deliciously evil characters. -
"The plot unfolds at the speed of sound. . . . As much fun as a barrel of monkeys--all of them armed.
— Men's Journal
The Death and Life of Bobby Z Listener Reviews
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" yeah ... OK ... a fun read "
— John, 2/19/2014 -
" This was the best book that I've read in a long time. I can't recommend it enough. "
— Rick, 12/23/2013 -
" Fun and fast. Cast of characters is crazy. Liked the ending. "
— Loras, 11/11/2013 -
" Confusing, disjointed, and unnecessarily violent and crude. "
— Rob, 10/27/2013 -
" The other reviews pretty much capture this - it's a whirlwind franticly paced tale. An action movie waiting to happen, a la Crank or Two Smoking Aces. "
— Dale, 9/23/2013 -
" Another great book that got turned into a mediocre movie. "
— Katherine, 8/18/2013 -
" Pulp fiction for the 90's, staged in So. Cal geography. Fun. Would have been 2x better if the last 3 paragraphs were cut out. "
— John, 7/25/2013 -
" Not as good as the last one, but still action packed and driving. A tad too sentimental, but a neat plot about a three-time crook who gets set up as a master drug dealer and has to deal with all the baggage that comes with that. "
— Ethan, 7/18/2013 -
" Very disappointed. I so impressed with Power of Dog decided to read another of the same author. Well didn't work out. Oh well. "
— David, 6/16/2013 -
" Another awesome Don Winslow book! "
— Jennifer, 5/5/2013 -
" Katy turned me on to this author. He writes lightweight, fun-to-read books about losers who redeem themselves. I've read three or four of his and haven't found a bad one yet. Thanks, Katy! "
— April, 12/10/2012 -
" Good book. Funny, violent. Happy ending. Not surprising it was better than the film. Which was a dog. "
— Paul, 8/1/2012 -
" Really enjoyed the holy hell out of this one. Aside from a few one dimensional characters and a staggeringly abrupt ending, this is easily one of Winslow's best. "
— Jared, 5/25/2012 -
" Perfect summer read! Fast paced - with like able characters. My only complaint is Tim Keatney was described as a 3 time loser. But later he was explained to have been a decorated marine with skils. A bit contradictory. "
— Melissa, 4/5/2012 -
" Loved some of his later books. This one is ok...to obviously written to be filmed ...long chase scene in centre of book is boring. beginning is ok...ending is too hollywood. "
— Craig, 3/12/2012 -
" After moving to San Diego County, I read every novel by Don Winslow that I could find in print. Surf, dope dealing, the border, local culture... it's all here, including the best place in La Jolla near the beach for a good hamburger.I enjoy good thrillers and these books certainly filled the bill. "
— Frank, 1/28/2012 -
" If I could give this seven stars I would! Yet another masterpiece from Don Winslow... "
— Chris, 1/23/2012 -
" The first of Winslow's books I read. Very good. "
— Karl, 9/15/2011 -
" Fun fast paced read "
— Kirk, 8/23/2011 -
" An excellent, face paced, easy read for a few hours long bus trip. "
— Rob, 5/30/2011 -
" Another great book that got turned into a mediocre movie. "
— Katherine, 4/8/2011 -
" Not as good as the last one, but still action packed and driving. A tad too sentimental, but a neat plot about a three-time crook who gets set up as a master drug dealer and has to deal with all the baggage that comes with that. "
— Ethan, 3/24/2011 -
" This is my go to book. When I can't find anything of interest I pull this one out and read it again. I think this is around the 15th time I've read it. Not a great book, I just like the story. "
— Bobby, 9/24/2010 -
" Bang Pow Kaboom! <br/>superfast exciting twisted unbelievable violent sexy thrilling ready-for-film book. <br/> <br/>I liked it a lot! "
— Robert, 9/8/2010 -
" This early Don Wimslow is a lot like Elmore Leonard. Try Power of the Dog to start with. "
— Paul, 5/5/2010 -
" A fun, smooth ride all the way. The book was really enjoyable, the movie less so. In fact, the book reads like a test run for a movie. "
— Mk100, 12/19/2009 -
" Katy turned me on to this author. He writes lightweight, fun-to-read books about losers who redeem themselves. I've read three or four of his and haven't found a bad one yet. Thanks, Katy! "
— April, 11/27/2009 -
" yeah ... OK ... a fun read "
— John, 10/26/2009 -
" This was the best book that I've read in a long time. I can't recommend it enough. "
— Rick, 4/12/2009 -
" Good characters and plot with lots of action - held my interest. Fans of Elmore Leonard would enjoy this book. In fact, if the author's name wasn't revealed and I was asked to guess the author, I would have said Elmore Leonard. <br/> "
— Glenn, 5/12/2008 -
" I wish they had 3.5-star reviews. <br/> <br/>This is high-octane easy-reading completely implausible crime fiction that goes down easy. It's almost perfect for what it is -- which is fundamentally lightweight but a lot of fun regardless. "
— James, 3/25/2008
About Don Winslow
Don Winslow is the author of twenty-four acclaimed, award-winning international bestsellers, including six New York Times bestsellers (Savages, The Kings of Cool, The Cartel, The Force, The Border, and City on Fire). Savages was made into a feature film by three-time Oscar-winning writer-director Oliver Stone and a screenplay by Shane Salerno, Winslow, and Stone. Winslow’s epic Cartel trilogy has been adapted for TV and will appear as a weekly series on FX in 2023. The Force is soon to be a major motion picture from 20th Century Studios starring Matt Damon with James Mangold directing from a Scott Frank screenplay. Additional Winslow books are currently in development at Netflix, Warner Brothers, Sony, and Working Title and he has recently written a series of acclaimed short stories for Audible narrated by four-time Oscar nominee Ed Harris.