Gone and The Longest Ride (audios)

Gone by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge

A crime lord has declared war on America. Only Detective Michael Bennett knows why.

Manuel Perrine doesn't fear anyone or anything. A charismatic and ruthless leader, Perrine slaughters rivals as effortlessly as he wears his trademark white linen suit. Detective Michael Bennett once managed to put Perrine behind bars, the only official in the US ever to accomplish that. But now Perrine is out, and he has sworn to find and kill Bennett and everyone dear to him.

Detective Bennett, along with his ten adopted children, their nanny, and his grandfather, are hidden safely on a rural California farm, with guards courtesy of the FBI's witness protection program. Perrine begins to embark on an escalating series of assassinations across the country, killings whose brazenness and audacity bring into question the possibility of safety and law in the US. The FBI has no choice but to ask Detective Bennett to risk it all in Perrine's war on America.

 I love that JP, et al's books are fast, easy and very entertaining reads. Listening on audio is the same. The Michael Bennett series is a favorite of mine. The two narrators did a excellent job and the sound effects were an added bonus. This book had plenty of action and suspense, but something was missing (for me). I didn't feel the closeness/connection of the family, they were to whinny for me. I look forward to the next book in this series.

Author:  James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge
Published: September 2013
Genre: Suspense/Thriller
Source: Hachette Audio
Finished: 11/23/13

The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks

Ira Levinson is in trouble. At ninety-one years old, in poor health and alone in the world, he finds himself stranded on an isolated embankment after a car crash. Suffering multiple injuries, he struggles to retain consciousness until a blurry image materializes and comes into focus beside him: his beloved wife Ruth, who passed away nine years ago. Urging him to hang on, she forces him to remain alert by recounting the stories of their lifetime together – how they met, the precious paintings they collected together, the dark days of WWII and its effect on them and their families. Ira knows that Ruth can’t possibly be in the car with him, but he clings to her words and his memories, reliving the sorrows and everyday joys that defined their marriage.

A few miles away, at a local bull-riding event, a Wake Forest College senior’s life is about to change. Recovering from a recent break-up, Sophia Danko meets a young cowboy named Luke, who bears little resemblance to the privileged frat boys she has encountered at school. Through Luke, Sophia is introduced to a world in which the stakes of survival and success, ruin and reward -- even life and death – loom large in everyday life. As she and Luke fall in love, Sophia finds herself imagining a future far removed from her plans -- a future that Luke has the power to rewrite . . . if the secret he’s keeping doesn’t destroy it first.

Ira and Ruth. Sophia and Luke. Two couples who have little in common, and who are separated by years and experience. Yet their lives will converge with unexpected poignancy, reminding us all that even the most difficult decisions can yield extraordinary journeys: beyond despair, beyond death, to the farthest reaches of the human heart.

A few years ago I read my last Sparks book.  I won't get into the reasons. I choose this book based exclusively on the narrators Ron McLarty and January LaVoy. Both are top favorites of mine and did such a fantastic job narrating that I stuck with the story.  I loved Ira and Ruth! The ending was a complete let down being that it was borrowed from another story.   

Author: Nicholas Sparks
Published: September 2013
Genre: Contemporary
Source:  Hachette Audio
Finished: 11/30/13

This complimentary review copy was received thankfully from Mitch and Hachette Audio and in no way influenced my review of this book. These are my personal thoughts and reactions to the reading of the book.