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The Last Refuge Audiobook
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(3.04) - 147 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Sam Acquillo is at the end of the line. A middle-aged corporate dropout living in a ramshackle cottage in Southampton's North Sea, Sam has abandoned friends, family, and a big-time career to sit on his porch, drink vodka, and stare at the Little Peconic Bay.
But then the old lady next door ends up floating dead in her bathtub, and it seems that Sam is the only one who wonders why. Despite himself, burned out, busted up, and cynical, the ex-engineer, ex-professional boxer, ex-loving father and husband finds himself uncovering secrets no one could have imagined, least of all Sam himself.
Meanwhile, a procession of quirky characters intrudes on Sam's misanthropic ways, the likes of which you never knew inhabited the hidden corners of the storied Hamptons: the haves, the have-nots, and the want-to-have-at-all-costs—some of them deadly.
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"This was a delightful find. I had never read any of Knopf's books. I loved this one and now I have a whole new author. A new and different kind of protagonist in a story artfully told. Can't wait to read more, "
— Susan (5 out of 5 stars)
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“The spare, emotionally eloquent style of Chris Knopf’s first novel, The Last Refuge, gives shapely form to the confessional story narrated by Sam Acquillo...the characters are such original oddballs and their conversation so bracing you want to kick off your shoes and spend some time on the porch with them, just taking in the view and enjoying the talk.”
— New York times -
“Knopf’s effortless narrative style and sense of humor bode well for the further adventures of Sam Acquillo.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Though the mystery drives the plot, it’s Sam’s rediscovery of himself in middle age that is the real focus in this accomplished debut novel, which also boasts outstanding dialogue and a vividly rendered setting. Expect to hear more from Knopf; he is definitely a writer to watch.”
— Booklist (starred review) -
“Take one hard-boiled burnout, add an eastern Long Island setting and a cynical sense of humour, throw in a sweetheart of a dog and you’ve got The Last Refuge. But there’s plenty more to this excellent debut novel.”
— Rocky Mountain News
The Last Refuge Listener Reviews
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" This was a delightful find. I had never read any of Knopf's books. I loved this one and now I have a whole new author. A new and different kind of protagonist in a story artfully told. Can't wait to read more, "
— Susan, 6/9/2013 -
" This is the first books in his Sam Acquillo series. Set in the Hamptons, but not the glittery side of the enclave we always hear about. "
— Refdept, 1/17/2013 -
" Did not really enjoy this book. The setting is in the Hamptons so I thought that would be cool, but the story didn't work for me. The book dragged in many places and did not engage me. I Did not connect with any of the characters. "
— Dee, 8/5/2012 -
" Great writer. Sam Acquillo is a "real" character. "
— Tammy, 4/26/2012 -
" Awesome!! takes place in hamptons..quick dialogue, great story. "
— Kerrie, 9/9/2011 -
" Awesome!! takes place in hamptons..quick dialogue, great story. "
— Kerrie, 11/24/2008
About Chris Knopf
Chris Knopf’s mystery novels have received exceptional awards and accolades, with critics likening his character Sam Aquillo to Dashiell Hammett’s Sam Spade, Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe, and Robert B. Parker’s Spenser, while repeatedly comparing Knopf’s work to that of Elmore Leonard, John D. MacDonald, and Ross Macdonald. Two Time was one of thirteen mysteries listed as recommended summer reading in the New York Times Book Review, and Publishers Weekly chose it as one of the “Best 100 Books for 2006.” Head Wounds won the 2008 Benjamin Franklin Award for Best Mystery. Dead Anyway was listed on the 2012 Best Fiction lists of both Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews. Knopf is a sailor, cabinetmaker, and advertising executive in Connecticut. He and his wife Mary also spend considerable time at their Long Island home in Southampton.
About Stefan Rudnicki
Stefan Rudnicki first became involved with audiobooks in 1994. Now a Grammy-winning audiobook producer, he has worked on more than five thousand audiobooks as a narrator, writer, producer, or director. He has narrated more than nine hundred audiobooks. A recipient of multiple AudioFile Earphones Awards, he was presented the coveted Audie Award for solo narration in 2005, 2007, and 2014, and was named one of AudioFile’s Golden Voices in 2012.